After the Rain
by Naruto-fan-Okami-chan
Summary: With a feeling of peace set in their hearts, it feels like nothing can go wrong. However, with life as a ninja, they know all they can do is cherish these moments while they still last, and cling to those that can. -SasuSaku-sequel to "The Turning Leaf"-
1. The Gift

**After The Rain**

**Chapter One- The Gift**

It was cold today, Sakura thought as she stood outside; very cold. It was only the late middle of November and already snow clouds were gathered overhead. By tomorrow morning there would probably be a slick layer of frost on everything. She hoped to get inside soon and warm her freezing hands and feet by a fire.

She treaded through a forest silently, listening attentively to all the sounds around her. She almost jumped at the sound of her feet crunching on something. She looked down to find a pile of dead leaves. Sakura's brow rose suspiciously, and then she carefully began to dig through the pile.

A few handfuls of leaves later, and she was suddenly staring into the lifeless eyes of a body. She retracted back, but then leaned forward and pushed aside the leaves covering the rest of the corpse. She set to work, making sure he was dead, and looking to see what it was that killed him. She came across a single entry wound in his neck.

"Yep…." Sakura muttered to herself, standing up. "Looks like I've found the trail." She crouched down one more time, closed the man's eyes, and then took off.

She ran stealthily, creeping swiftly from tree to tree and always stopping briefly to check her surroundings. At one point she came to a complete halt as she took in the sight before her. It was a small cottage house, probably only one room, and while from a distance it looked uninhabited, her ninja senses couldn't mistake the chakra of a human coming from the house. She crept forward.

When she reached the door to the house, she hesitated, considering strategies. She could pull off what she planned to do in a number of different ways. She could kick the door in, sneak around and come in through a window, wait until he came out; instead, she raised her hand, and knocked on the door.

It took a moment, but the door opened and she was then face-to-face with a man over a head taller than her. Sakura looked up at him with an innocent smile on her face. This seemed to catch him, and he raised a perplexed brow. "What do you want?"

"There's a body in the forest," she suddenly declared, "and I was wondering if you knew about it."

The man seemed surprised. "A body? I had no idea."

"Really?" She pressed, and then her eyes narrowed as she looked beyond him. "Then why does that thin blade on the bed seem like it could fit right into that dead man's neck wound?"

A tense silence fell between the two. Neither one of them moved a muscle. Sakura's innocent smile never wavered.

The next few moves happened in a flash. The man lunged at her, thinking he could easily overpower her and break her neck. Sakura used this false sense he had to her advantage when she grabbed his arm, twisted it till she heard a snap, whirled him around, and slammed him against the outside wall of the cottage. He gasped in pain just before she grabbed the back of his neck and rammed him face first up against the wall again before he could move. Her other hand firmly gripped his good arm and twisted it behind his back before he could react.

The man panted heavily, shocked that he was overpowered by Sakura so easily. Sakura's grip on the back of his neck tightened as she spoke; emanating the threat that she could break it effortlessly. "Wasn't expecting that, were you Akira? The escaped prisoner for murder in the Land of Tea, who operates his killings using a thin knife which he jams into his victims' jugular for a quick kill before he robs them."

"How did you know?" He questioned.

"How could I not? Such a distinct way of killing…finding that body so close to the cottage…leaving your weapon just lying out in the open. You were practically begging to get caught. I'd think a rogue ninja would know how to operate more covertly than that…especially considering those you've been hired to kill."

Akira frowned. "So now what are you going to do? Send me back to that prison just to break out again?"

A smirk formed on Sakura's lips. "You think we're that stupid? Granted, we could easily throw you into one of our Konoha Maximum Security prisons, but after what you've done…no one really wants to deal with that. No, you," Sakura twisted his wrist till it broke, making Akira cry out in pain as she reached down into her cloak and pulled out a kunai, "you, sir, are going to die right where you stand."

"You think so, huh?" Akira mused.

Sakura's brow creased at his statement, but then she understood what he meant. She released Akira and quickly jumped away as a knife came whizzing past her. She held up her kunai defensively as she saw another man appear from the bushes.

"You missed." Akira declared as he looked down at his broken limbs.

The new man had a smile like a fox. "So? You got your arms broken. Pretty bad day for you."

Akira shot his counterpart a glare, and then a conceited smile reached his face as he saw the flicker of confusion on Sakura's face. "You said I was lacking when it comes to a ninja's subtleness…well, here it is. Of course he seems to be a little off today."

Akira's partner frowned. "It's not my fault she sensed me coming. She's a Leaf Ninja."

"It doesn't matter." Akira proclaimed, taking a step towards the house. "Let's just finish her off and be done with it."

Sakura's eyes narrowed as Akira's partner pulled out an arsenal of knives and prepared to throw them. She worked quickly, making hand signs in a flash. When she stopped, she spoke. "Well then, if there's a second part to this murder case…" she began.

Akira's partner let out a gagging noise. He fell to the ground to reveal a kunai sticking out from where his spinal cord was. Akira's eyes widened in shock as he saw Sakura's clone emerge from the trees. Akira's head whipped back towards the kunoichi, and he gasped as he found himself abruptly face-to-face with her.

"Then I guess I'll just have to kill you both." Sakura finished, and then lashed out at his throat with her kunai, hitting the mark. He spluttered for a moment, and then slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Sakura glanced between the two corpses momentarily, and then entered the cottage. She found a lot of things. Maps of buildings she didn't recognize, weapons, survival gear. Obviously the pair had been well prepared for the prison break they most probably coordinated together, and had packed enough to get them a long way. Either that or they had stolen enough for it to seem that way. Her thoughts briefly went towards the body in the woods. She'd have to tell the nearby village to pick up that body, too, and to scour the forest for any more of their victims.

She packed together the maps and a few other things she found in the cottage, planning to take them to the village so they could find out exactly who or where the two had been plotting to strike next, and then she exited the house.

When she stepped outside, a slight chill ran up her back from the cold, and she rubbed her hands together. She looked down at her hands for a moment, a slight smile reaching her face, and then she was gone.

'"'"'"'"

It took two days of traveling to get back to the Leaf Village. When she got there she immediately went to the Hokage's building. She relayed the mission to Lady Tsunade, and left the maps with her to examine, and then she dismissed herself to go home.

"_I wonder if he's there."_ Sakura thought as she left the Hokage's building.

Sakura walked for a while, finding the trek back home relaxing as she could wind back down out of her assassination mission mode. She stopped in front of the Haruno household, and gazed up at it for a moment.

"I wonder if I should let Mom and Dad know I'm back…." Sakura wondered aloud as she looked at the house, but then a thought struck her and she continued on down the road. "Not yet."

She looked over her shoulder momentarily back at the Haruno household, and then looked forward again.

"_It's been two years already…huh?"_ She thought.

Her trek continued for a while longer, and then she came to a stop in front of an apartment. She walked over to the door, twisted it to find it was locked, and then fished around in her backpack for her keys.

She unlocked the door, opened it, and walked in. She took in a deep breath as she dropped her bag and took off her ninja cloak. She looked down at herself and then at the clean couch nearby. She scooped up her bag and threw her cloak over her shoulder, walking into a hallway. She'd shower before she sat down on anything.

Sakura entered a room and looked around. Nothing appeared to be touched. The two dressers, the big bed, even the door to the bathroom was shut and untouched. Sakura heaved a big sigh as she put down her bag and cloak, picked through a dresser for some clean clothes, and entered the bathroom.

"_It's been two years…since I first moved in with Sasuke." _Sakura frowned slightly as she saw the stack of clean towels sitting on the counter. _"And it looks like I beat him home, too. He's still not back from his own mission." _

Sakura turned on the shower and began to undress herself. She looked into a mirror and through its reflection she saw one of Sasuke's shirts draped over a chair with the Uchiha symbol facing up. Sakura turned to the shirt and smiled at it.

"_Well…he should be home soon." _

'"'"'"'"

An hour later Sakura walked out of the apartment, bundled up in warm clothing. The chill she faced in the Land of Tea had crept down to Konoha while she was gone. She took off down the road at a leisurely pace, her feet knowing automatically where they were headed.

As Sakura walked, she took in the little details around her. The sky was clouded over, completely blocking out the sun, there was s light but cold wind blowing towards her, and the streets were practically deserted. It didn't seem like many people wanted to be out on such a day.

Then, up ahead, she saw someone come out of a building. She smiled as she realized the person she saw was none other than Hinata.

Hinata turned her head as she noticed someone walking down the road, and she gave a surprised smile back as she realized it was Sakura. Sakura came to a stop in front of Hinata.

"Hey there." She greeted.

"Hello." Hinata responded. "I see you're back."

Sakura nodded. "Yep. I just got back a couple hours ago."

"How did your mission go?" Hinata asked.

"Good. There wasn't much trouble. It was just an assassination mission, and the guys were really weak."

"Oh…I see."

"So how are things going at the Hyuga mansion?" Sakura questioned.

"Pretty well, actually. Ever since Tenten moved in when she and Neji got married…I've had someone to talk to."

"That's great. Which reminds me…how long has it been…three…four months?"

"Four."

"Ah, so Tenten's about halfway there with her baby." Sakura giggled once. "I bet Neji's happy."

"He does seem to be in a lighter mood lately…ever since they got married, actually. I think Tenten has a good effect on him."

Sakura laughed and then glanced up at the building Hinata emerged from. A sly smile found its way onto Sakura's face. "So…just finished seeing Naruto?"

Hinata blushed at the mention of her longtime boyfriend, and nodded her head. "Y-yeah…he just got back from his own mission, too."

"I figured. Lady Tsunade's running him like a dog. No way is she going to let him be Hokage unless he gets his rate of success on missions up."

"Yeah…Naruto was just talking about that."

"What about you? Have you been on any missions lately?"

Hinata shook her head. "Not many…at least not any big ones like you guys have been getting."

"I would suppose not. Shino's been on that one mission for a month, hasn't he? You don't have your whole team."

"Yes. It's been a while since our team has gotten to go on a mission all together."

"Same here. With Tsunade running Naruto around on all these solo missions, all she has for me and Sasuke are the things she thinks we can handle, and then some."

"I see." A look of remembrance flickered across Hinata's face. "Oh yeah…a few days ago...I think Naruto mentioned it just earlier. It was…"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, a few days ago. The day I left for my mission, in fact. Though because of that mission, there's something about that day Naruto doesn't know about."

Hinata looked curious, and Sakura beckoned her closer. She leaned forward and Sakura whispered something in her ear. A light blush appeared on Hinata's cheeks as she pulled away.

"Oh! I-I didn't know." Hinata stammered. "That's…that's great! I'm happy for you."

Sakura smiled and held up a finger to her lips. "You're one of the first to know. Don't tell Naruto, though. We want to see the look on his face for ourselves."

"Okay…uh…c-congratulations!"

Sakura grinned. "Thanks."

"Um…what about Ino? Does she know?"

"No. Actually, I was just on my way to her place to tell her."

"Oh, well then…I guess I shouldn't hold you up or anything."

"Oh no, it was fine. I haven't gotten to talk to you in a bit. It was nice to get an update."

Hinata smiled as Sakura took a step to start off down the road. "Oh…um…good luck, Sakura."

Sakura stopped for a moment and looked over her shoulder at Hinata. She smiled back. "Thanks. And good luck to you, too."

A bright blush reached Hinata's cheeks as Sakura continued down the road. Now remembering why she had been out on such a day, she walked with a renewed vigor as she took familiar shortcuts.

Eventually, Sakura turned out of a back road and stared down a main road. She could now see her destination: Yamanaka Flowers. Her pace quickened slightly as she came closer and closer to the shop, anxious to talk with her female best friend.

When she reached the storefront, Sakura stopped for a moment, staring at the door. After another minute, she stepped forward, grasped the doorknob, and entered the shop. A jingle went off over her head, signaling her arrival, and a couple minutes later Ino emerged from the upstairs living quarters to greet who she believed to be a customer.

Ino's face brightened as she realized that the person at the door was Sakura. She waved her farther in. "Sakura! You're back!"

Sakura smiled. "Yep, I'm back." She echoed as she took a seat in a chair reserved usually for her when she visited.

Ino sat down in her own chair on the other side of the counter and grinned. "So how'd the mission go?"

Sakura shrugged. "Oh, you know. A little bit of investigating, tracking, fighting, and then killing the target. A typical assassination run."

Ino shivered. "Out in this weather?"

"Actually, I was in the Land of Tea…and it was colder."

"Ugh, glad I didn't get your job."

"Well, you know how it is."

"Yeah, you actually pay for stuff like rent now. I'm only still living with my parents because I still have to run the shop, and it's easier than having to wake up earlier than I already do and walk all the way down here from wherever I live."

"Yeah…must be nice still not having to pay for things."

"Kinda…but this just means I have a second job. When I'm not out escorting some client or chasing down a criminal I'm here running a flower shop. What happened to my me time?"

"What's the difference from when you were younger? You seemed to have a lot of 'me time' back then."

"Only because my parents were more willing to take a shift. You know, that's basically all they do now. Pay for what they need to and then just drop the whole business into my hands. It's nuts!"

"I thought you liked working with flowers though."

Ino sighed. "I do…but you know how it is when you spend the whole day in here and you don't sell a single flower…makes you kinda want to run out just to get away from them."

"That sounds more like dealing with a clingy boyfriend." Sakura commented. This made the two of them laugh. "Kiba's not clingy, is he?"

Ino shook her head. "Just the opposite. I don't see him all that much."

"And yet you guys are still holding a relationship?"

"Oh, you know how it is." Ino sighed. "We see each other for a bit, it's romantic, we don't see each other for a while because of all these reasons, we see each other again, might get in a fight about why the other's been so busy, break up, don't see each other for a bit again, run into each other, get back together, and start the whole thing all over again."

"How the hell do you deal with that? That's just insane."

Ino shrugged, and then her eyes brightened. "Ooh, speaking of boyfriends." She grinned. "How's yours?"

Sakura looked down at her hands. "I dunno. I haven't seen him in about a week. I had my own mission, but then two days later he had to leave for his. It doesn't look like he's back yet."

"Oh." Ino sounded sympathetic, but then her smile returned. "Oh! That reminds me! Wasn't it you and Sasuke's like…a hundred-year-a-versary a few days ago? You guys have been together forever! I swear!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at Ino's exaggeration. "It's five years, thank you, and actually it was the day I had left for my mission."

"Aw, well that blows!"

"Tell me about it…. Though I didn't have to leave till two, so we still got to spend the morning together."

"I see." A sly grin found its way onto Ino's face. "And how did _that_ go? Did you guys go do something or did you stay inside to have a little hot, private time before you left?"

Sakura's cheeks flared slightly, and she looked back down at her hands. "We stayed home…hung out together…you know."

"Seriously? That's it? No action?"

"And what do you mean by action?"

Ino grinned suggestively. Sakura's cheeks grew darker.

"I can't believe where your mind is." Sakura huffed.

"Come on! You've got to have done something!"

"Not on the level your thinking is heading towards." Sakura retorted.

Ino waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, whatever. What did you get him?"

"I didn't get him anything."

Ino gawked. "Why not? You guys have been together for five solid straight years! Not a single fight, not a single break-up then make-up scene, hell, the anniversary gift he gave you two years ago was moving in together. Why didn't you get him something?"

"Because he said the only gift he wanted was to spend the day with me. That's one reason we didn't leave the house, he didn't want any distractions."

Ino shot a look at Sakura. "And yet you guys haven't even—"

"Ino." Sakura interjected threateningly.

"Oh, whatever. Tell me he at least got you something. Unless his gift to you was the same thing."

Sakura's eyes flickered. "Well, he did get me something."

Ino leaned forward. "Aaaand?"

Sakura stared at Ino for a moment, looked down at her hands, and then casually began to take off the glove on her right hand.

"Come on, Sakura!" Ino whined. "What did Sasuke get you?"

"Oh, nothing much." Sakura drawled as she removed her other glove, propped her left elbow on the table, and put her cheek in her hand.

Ino's gaze followed Sakura's hand, and a moment later her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. On Sakura's finger was an engagement ring.

**Sooooo much better than my first version! The first version was a total bore. Only Leaf Village blah. No mission prior. Made the chapter much more exciting putting in the mission. Well, if anyone noticed, the preview in TTL for this chapter is gone…I had to remove it. Sure, in the end I kept to the general idea of what I had in the preview, but many of the little factors had changed, so it didn't match up, and thusly, I had to delete it. Same concept though. "Sakura goes to visit Ino and reveals her engagement to Sasuke." Just with the extra stuff of talking with Hinata (which got us up-to-date on some of the things that happened over the five years like that she and Naruto are still together and Neji and Tenten are married and expecting, and also gave those who didn't get to read the preview the hints that something happened between Sasuke and Sakura) and the mission. (Showing off Sakura's ninja skills.) Well then, here's to a more exciting opening! And here's to the first chapter of the sequel to "The Turning Leaf"! Till the next chapter! **


	2. The Reactions

**Chapter Two- The Reactions**

"Oh. My. GOD!" Ino screeched. She reached out and practically pulled Sakura over the counter by her wrist to get a closer look at the ring adorning her finger. "Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!"

"I think He hears you, Ino." Sakura commented, even though she giggled over Ino's reaction.

Ino slightly glared at Sakura, and pulled her farther over the counter to make her stomach ram into the side. Sakura cast Ino a warning glare before she pulled her hand back.

"You know if you want to see the ring you could ask rather than trying to pull me over the counter." Sakura declared as she put her hand on the table between them.

Ino leaned over to see the ring. It was made of silver, with the band formed by three separate strands braided together. A diamond rested in the middle of a white circle. Ino's eyes widened. "It looks like the diamond is in the Haruno symbol!"

Sakura smiled and looked down fondly at the ring. "That was the point. I mean, while I wear this ring I'm still Haruno. Sasuke told me the wedding ring will be gold."

"Awww!" Ino gushed, and then she tore her eyes away from the ring to focus on Sakura. "I want to hear it _all_! Tell me! How? When? Where? What happened?"

Sakura leaned back in her chair. "You mean you want the whole day, or just the proposal?"

"Whole day! Put me in the scene! I wanna know it all!" Ino responded.

"Let's see then…" Sakura began.

_Flashback_

Light poured in from a window onto Sakura's face, waking her up from her sleep. She became aware of the smell of food that wafted through the air as she put an arm over her eyes in an effort to block out the sunlight that hit her in the face. From a crack in her shield from the sun, she peeked over to her left to see the empty space on the bed next to her.

A moment later she heard the click of the door opening, and she removed her arm to see her longtime boyfriend, Sasuke, at the door with a tray in his hands.

A smirk reached Sasuke's face as he realized he had caught his girlfriend just as she had woken up. He walked over to the bedside as Sakura sat up. He placed the tray in front of her, and Sakura was greeted by a warm plate of breakfast foods. She looked from Sasuke to the plate for a moment before she spoke.

"You did this?" She asked.

Sasuke's brow rose, sending Sakura a silent message saying "who else could have done it?" Sakura smiled thankfully up at Sasuke as his smirk deepened. His hand came up and caressed Sakura's cheek, and then he leaned down and kissed her.

He pulled away just enough so that he could have level eye contact with her. "Well, you were still out of it when I woke up. That and I thought I might as well do something nice for you for our anniversary."

Sakura grinned. "Five years now, huh?"

Sasuke chuckled once, and then let his fingers trail down her cheek until his index finger caught under her chin. He kissed her forehead. "Five great years." He then stood up straight and started to head for the door. He turned his head to look at her as he reached the doorway. "Remember what we agreed on. I'll be right back."

Sakura stared as Sasuke left, and then continued to stare at the doorway for a moment longer before she looked down at her food. She picked up a fork and began to eat.

"_Yes, I do remember."_ She thought. _"Today we'll be spending the whole day together…at least until I have to head on my mission at two…." _

'"'"'"'"

When Sakura finished her meal, she got out of bed and went to her dresser. She wanted to wear something nice, considering it was such a special day for the two of them, but with her mission coming up in a few hours she knew she'd have to dress in her ninja wear, especially considering that Sasuke would probably press to spend time with her until the moment she had to leave, giving her no time to change.

"_I guess it's a good thing I packed yesterday." _She mused as she got out of her pajamas and threw on her clothes.

A couple minutes later when she was completely dressed, she went to the bed and picked up the tray Sasuke had brought her, and then left the room. She found Sasuke in the kitchen, cleaning up the last of what he had probably used that morning to make the breakfast.

Sakura came up behind him. She wrapped her free arm around his waist in a half hug, and held the tray out with the other. She could just see over his shoulder into the sink. "Thank you for the food."

Sasuke smirked when he sensed Sakura come up behind him, and then put his hand over hers that held the tray. He had her set it down on the counter, and then turned around to face her.

Sasuke looked Sakura up and down, a perplexed look on his face. "You're in your ninja clothes."

Sakura sighed. "I know, but I also know you. You'd make me run late if I had to go change out of nicer clothes to go on my mission. You'll probably press my being here until two and no earlier."

Sasuke still smirked as he shook his head. "You know, you could have always just said you need to get ready before two. I'd have let you go change."

Sakura stared up at Sasuke, and then shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well, this is what I'm wearing now anyway."

Sasuke pulled Sakura against him and put his head on top of hers. "Oh well…though you are right that I'll be pressing your leaving until two."

Sakura turned her head to glance at a clock. "Well, it's 9:30 now. Did you have anything planned for us?"

Sasuke took a step back so there was space between them. The look on his face told Sakura that he had obviously been spending a lot of time thinking about today. "Oh, I have plenty."

'"'"'"'"

The blinds and curtains had been drawn shut, the doors locked, and the lights either shut off or dimmed to help Sasuke with his plan to keep away any distractions before two o'clock came around; and also to help give off that evening mood for the couple and their day together.

At the moment, the two were immersed in each other's lips. Sakura sat on Sasuke's lap with her hands gripping the front of his shirt. One of Sasuke's hands rested on her thigh, and the other was burrowed in her short, pink hair.

Eventually, the two parted. Sasuke's eyes flickered to the side. He let out an exasperated huff and then put his forehead on Sakura's shoulder. "One already?"

Sakura cast a glance at the clock as well without disturbing Sasuke's position. "I guess so."

Sasuke let out a long sigh. His breath sent a tingle down Sakura's back and along her skin. Sakura was about to reach up to touch Sasuke's face when he suddenly leaned forward and brought Sakura into a laying position on the couch.

Sakura stared up at Sasuke, confused and with a light blush on her face as thoughts of what he might do crossed her mind.

He surprised her, though, when he stood up and started to head towards the hallway. Sakura watched him, unmoving, until he finally turned to look at her.

"Wait right here…I have a surprise for you." He told her.

As he disappeared down the hall Sakura sat up, wondering what the surprise Sasuke spoke of was. Then, taking the little chance, she got up from the couch as well and went to a mirror hanging on the wall. She combed her fingers through her hair, straightening it back out to its original form. She tugged her clothing into its proper place as well. Satisfied, she turned back and went to the couch.

The moment she sat back down Sasuke emerged from the hallway. Sakura looked up, and her eyes widened as she saw a bouquet of roses in his hands. He came over and sat down next to her.

Sakura stared at the flowers. "Well, this really is a surprise." She stated.

Sasuke smirked. "This isn't the surprise."

She blinked. "What?"

Sasuke held the faces of the roses out to Sakura, and that's when she noticed a little white card inside the bouquet. She reached in and plucked it from the bushel.

She read what she saw. "To Sakura, love Sasuke." Sakura smiled. "Well, this is nice, too."

Sasuke just shook his head, a smirk on his face. "That's not the surprise either. Flip it over."

Sakura's brow rose, still unsure of what his surprise was. She did as he instructed and flipped the card over. It took her a moment to read the fancy cursive that was on the card, but once she understood what it said, she gasped and nearly dropped it.

Sakura's eyes locked with Sasuke's. His eyes were soft, yet serious. "So…what did it say?" He pressed.

Sakura struggled to find her voice for a moment. Her words came out near a whisper. "Will…you marry me?"

Sasuke dropped the roses to the floor and from his pocket he pulled out a ring. He held it up for her to see. "Will you?"

Sakura's gaze flicked between the ring and Sasuke. A second later she practically jumped on him and pulled him in to a hug. "Do you even need to ask? Yes! Of course!"

A smile found its way onto Sasuke's face as he hugged her back. It took a few solid minutes before they finally let go, but then they quickly reunited in a long kiss. When they pulled away, Sasuke took Sakura's left hand and slipped the ring onto her finger.

Sakura leaned her head on Sasuke's chest, his arms enveloping her, as she stared down at the ring. "So was this your surprise, or are you suddenly going to spring something else on me?"

Sasuke chuckled. "No, this was the surprise. Did you like it?"

Sakura made no response for a moment, and then she lifted her head and kissed Sasuke's cheek. "Like it? I love it! And I love you."

Sasuke responded to her kiss on the cheek with one of his own. He then leaned forward to touch their foreheads together. "I love you, too."

"And that was very original. Most guys go on some long speech before they ask the girl to marry them." Sakura commented.

Sasuke shrugged. "You know how I am…I'm not really one for grand speeches. Besides…I _wanted_ to be original. That way is so old now."

"Actually, some people call it classic."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. "I'm not one of those people.

Sakura giggled, and then she sighed. "It's a shame…that I have to go on a mission today…I'd have loved to do nothing better than go tell everyone about this."

Sasuke smirked. "I know…. I wanted to do this on our anniversary, either way, and I wasn't going to wait another year just to make sure you were free."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah…I'll be sure to hurry home. Then again…you have your own mission coming up in two days, don't you?"

Sasuke nodded. "Though it's nothing that will take long. Drop a guy off in his village and then I'll run home to see if you're back. And then the first thing we'll do is go show it off."

Sakura giggled. "I wonder how Naruto will react."

"I won't tell him unless you're with me."

"Then I'll do the same in case I beat you home."

Sasuke fingered the ring. "Just in case…. We should be home on the same day, though, if nothing goes wrong on our missions."

"I'll be sure to get everything done with as smoothly as possible." Sakura then looked to the side at the clock. She frowned. "A bit more than half an hour left…what do you want to do till then?"

Sasuke glanced at the clock, smirked, leaned forward, and kissed Sakura. "I can think of a few things."

_End flashback_

"And that's basically it. Then I left for my mission a little while later." Sakura concluded.

Ino didn't say anything for a moment, like she was trying to absorb all the information Sakura had given her. Finally, "So that's why he came in and bought roses!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Well what other flower shop do we know of?"

"Those stupid competitors across town who don't know the difference between a violet and a tulip."

The two girls laughed, and then Sakura stood up. "Well, I had better be on my way."

"Where are you going?" Ino asked.

"Just back home. I could really use a nap or some time to just lay around. I'm worn out from all that running back here."

"Oh…alright." Ino grinned and waved. "Come by with Sasuke some time! You guys need to start planning your wedding décor, and I won't let you buy flowers from anywhere but here! I'll give you a best friend discount!"

Sakura laughed. "Thanks, we'll think about that. See you later."

Sakura exited the shop and started to head back to her and Sasuke's place. When she got there, she reached into a pocket and pulled out her keys. She stuck one in the lock and twisted, but there was no click from its unlocking. Sakura's brow rose at this, and she opened the door.

"I could have sworn I locked the door before I left." Sakura muttered. Her ninja senses sharpened as she thought of the possibility of an intruder.

Sakura entered the house, and then stopped in her tracks. Two seconds later a huge grin reached her face and she ran forward.

"Sasuke! You're home!" Sakura cheered as she tackled him and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face against him.

Sasuke chuckled and snaked his own arms around her. "I figured you were back already."

Sakura held her head against Sasuke's neck for a moment longer, pulled away, and then leaned back in to kiss him.

When the two pulled away, Sasuke smirked and said, "I see my fiancée is in a good mood today."

His statement made Sakura's grin grow wider. She pulled her left hand in between them and looked down at the ring. Her gaze moved back up to Sasuke. "I'm in a great mood now that you're back. I just got back from telling Ino about us, and Hinata knows now, too, but I made her promise not to tell Naruto."

Sasuke nodded. "I guess we better tell him soon."

"Well, you did say the first thing we'd do when we both got back was show off the ring."

Sasuke let Sakura go and took her ringed finger in his hand. "Then let's not waste any time."

'"'"'"'"

"Really? Seriously?" Naruto shouted, gawking at his teammates that stood before him. The two nodded, and a moment later a big grin formed on his face. "It's about time, Teme! Here I was scared you guys would just be boyfriend and girlfriend forever! Now you're getting married!"

Sakura smiled at Naruto's enthusiasm. "Yep."

"And what do you mean 'finally'?" Sasuke scoffed. "I don't see you engaged or anything."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "You get what I mean. I just can't believe you waited till you were twenty-two. I thought that moment you guys were eighteen and able to get married you'd jump at the chance."

"Dobe, when we turned eighteen we had only been dating for a few months."

"Nineteen then!"

Sasuke sighed. "I won't have this argument."

"Because you're afraid I'll win!"

"Naruto," Sakura's voice interjected, "I thought you'd be happy for us, not scolding us."

"I am happy for you guys!" Naruto retorted. "Of course I am! My totally in looove teammates are finally getting married! I'm just saying it's about time!"

"Maybe you should have just let Hinata tell him…." Sasuke muttered.

"Hinata knows?" Naruto asked.

Sakura nodded. "I ran in to her earlier and told her. She had just come from here, in fact."

Sasuke smirked. "I wonder if it'll get Hinata wondering if the Dobe will ever ask her."

Naruto's cheeks darkened. "Oh, shut up, Teme!"

Sakura glanced over at a clock. "Anyway…it's kind of starting to get later in the day. Maybe we should go now."

Naruto frowned. "Really?" Then he smiled. "Fine. Congrats! Keep me posted, okay? You guys better include me in the wedding!"

Sakura laughed as she and Sasuke reached the door. "We'll keep it in mind. Bye."

"Bye! Oh…wait! Guys! Guys!" Naruto called.

The couple turned to face their teammate. "What, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Tomorrow, can you two come by? I wanna talk to you about something."

Sakura looked up at Sasuke for an answer. Sasuke huffed. "Fine, we'll come by."

Naruto grinned. "Great! Thanks! See you then!"

With that, the two left the apartment and headed for the road.

Sasuke suddenly started to pull Sakura down the road. Sakura looked up at Sasuke, confused. "Where are you headed?"

Sasuke turned back to Sakura. "We have somewhere else to go."

Sakura's brow rose. "We do?"

Sasuke nodded. "There're some other people we should go ahead and break the news to."

Sakura stared at Sasuke skeptically for another moment, but then matched his pace. "Alright. Are you gonna tell me where we're headed?"

Sasuke smirked. "You'll see…and then you'll understand."

'"'"'"'"

Knock, knock.

"Coming!" A voice called.

A few seconds later the door opened. The person blinked for a moment, and then smiled. "Oh! Sakura! And Sasuke! How do you do?"

Sakura smiled. "Hey Mom. Is Dad home, too?"

Sakura's mother nodded. "Yes, he is. Please, come on in. I'll go get him if you want."

"Okay, thanks." Sakura responded as the couple entered the house.

Sasuke and Sakura took a seat on a couch while Sakura's mother went to get her father. A minute later, her parents both came down the stairs.

Sakura's father grinned seeing his daughter. "Oh, look who's here. What brings you two over?" He and his wife sat down in their own chairs.

Sakura smiled up at Sasuke, her right hand casually covered her ring. "Do you want to tell them, or should I?"

Sasuke shrugged. "They're your parents."

Sakura looked away from Sasuke and directly at her parents. "Alright then…Mom…Dad." She removed her right hand and held up her left. "Sasuke and I are getting married."

At first, they were met with silence as her parents registered what their daughter had just announced. They both looked at each other, and then back at the engaged couple before them.

Sakura's mother leapt out of her chair. "That's great news! Oh, I'm so happy for you two! Congratulations!"

Sakura's father smirked, his gaze turning to Sasuke. "Took you long enough. It took five years to decide to marry her?"

"Three, actually." Sasuke corrected, lacing his fingers with Sakura's. "The past two years were full of planning it out, waiting for the right time, and getting the guts to do it."

Sakura's mother went over to the two and threw her arms around Sakura. "This is so wonderful. Oh, let me see the ring!"

Sakura giggled at her mother's ways, and held up her hand. Her mother gazed at it for several silent moments, and then she hugged her daughter again. She looked over at Sasuke. "So I guess in a few months…you'll be our son-in-law."

Sasuke was slightly caught by this statement. When Sakura and her mother started talking, Sasuke looked from them to Sakura's smiling father. He then looked at the ring on Sakura's finger, and a small smile reached his face.

"_It's true…" _He thought. _"In a few months time…this will be my family."_

**Chapter two is complete! YES! And I just finished chapter one yesterday! Finally back on a roll! Only…I don't know how much there'll be in the third chapter. I know I'll probably need quite a lot, and from what I wrote here I also know I'll have to alter slightly what I've already come up with. But by the time you read this it's all in the past. So…chapter two of AtR is now done, and soon we'll be slipping out of these introductions (or well, updates on what happened over five years) and we'll start up the action and romance and suspense that is this story! Till then readers! **  
**Oh yeah…has anyone else noticed…we know nothing about Sakura's family? I mean, we know of at least one parent for every person in the Rookie Nine…except Sakura. All we've heard is her mom's voice in the very beginning. That's it. Don't know what they look like, don't know what they're like…what's up with that? Anyway, random thought…. **


	3. A Little Help From Your Friends

**Chapter Three- A Little Help From Your Friends**

The next morning Sakura found herself sitting in a chair in her living room reading a book. She glanced over at a clock. It was only seven, and Sasuke was still in bed. It seemed he was more exhausted than he realized from his mission.

At the thought of Sasuke Sakura looked down at the ring on her finger. A smile formed on her lips. It all seemed so surreal, she thought, her now being engaged to marry Sasuke. Sure they had kept up a steady relationship for five years, but the thought that in a few months they'd be husband and wife was a strange thing to think about.

"_I'm sure if I voiced this to Sasuke he'd say something like 'We'll fall into it. We'll get used to the idea of it.' Almost like what he said when the reality of us being a couple seemed so unreal to us a few years back." _Sakura thought.

As her attention then shifted back to her book, Sakura caught the sound of footsteps, and turned her head to see Sasuke come out of the hallway. He was fully dressed in what he normally wore these days: a black long-sleeved shirt and pants with a belt and a sort of string attached to the belt to hold his sword if he ever needed to run out and do something immediately without the time to change into his Anbu clothing. It basically looked like he was wearing Anbu clothes anyway, only without the armor plating and the fact that his shirt had the traditional Uchiha symbol on the back. He doesn't wear a Leaf Headband anymore, so the only way people really know he's a Leaf ninja is if he's in uniform.

"_Come to think of it," _Sakura mused, _"I guess in a few months there won't be much point to my Haruno clothing anymore…I'll be an Uchiha. I suppose at some point I better go shopping for some clothes to put the symbol on…." _Looking down at her own clothes, she wore a red short-sleeved shirt with the Haruno symbol on the back and a tan knee-length skirt, which is now her typical attire when she's not out on a mission or training. 

Sakura smiled up at Sasuke. "Good morning."

Sasuke turned his head in Sakura's direction, as if not having realized she was there. His eyes softened as he saw her. He walked over. "Morning." He replied simply as he leaned down and gave her a peck on the lips.

Sakura closed her book and set it down on a coffee table. "Did you want some breakfast?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, which Sakura took as an approval. She stood up and headed for the kitchen with Sasuke following.

A little while later the two sat at a table eating breakfast.

Sakura was the first to speak. "So do you think there's anyone else we need to tell about our engagement personally, or do you think with Naruto and Ino combined most of the village already knows?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Only if there's anyone who you still want to tell yourself."

Sakura mulled over this as she pushed the remnants of an egg around the plate. "I wonder what Lady Tsunade would say…or Shizune. Most of my personal friends, if not all of them, already know…. Um…there's Kakashi-Sensei."

"Tch, I don't think I want to know what he'd have to say about it." Sasuke scoffed.

"Hm, I guess you're right." Sakura agreed, thinking of what their Icha Icha fan of a sensei would say to them. "Then I guess other than that there really isn't anyone else…unless of course you count friends in other nations."

"You can write a letter later if you want." Sasuke replied, finishing off his breakfast and standing up to take his plate to the kitchen. "Are you done with yours?" He asked, gesturing towards Sakura's mostly cleaned plate.

"Huh? Oh…yeah, thanks." She handed the plate to Sasuke and he disappeared into the kitchen while Sakura pondered her thoughts.

"_If I were to send a letter…I guess maybe I'd send word to Temari. Haha, I wonder what would be said if the Kazekage's sister came to our wedding…or the Kazekage himself. Then again…I don't know what kind of terms Sasuke and Gaara are on…. Well, Gaara's a pretty good guy now, and so is Sasuke. I think they'd be able to look past the fact that years ago they were trying to kill each other…er…oh, why am I even thinking of this? I'll send a letter to Temari and see what happens." _

Sakura leaned back in her chair as Sasuke came out of the kitchen.

"Oh yeah," Sasuke suddenly declared, making Sakura turn to look at him. "Didn't the Dobe ask us to come by today?"

It took a moment for Sakura to remember what happened at Naruto's yesterday. "Oh, that's right, he did. He said he wanted to talk to us."

"Hn, if he starts making stupid comments about marriage I swear I'll beat the crap out of him."

Sakura laughed. "Well, knowing him there'd be one or two comments, but I think he actually has something serious to ask us."

"If Naruto ever can be serious." Sasuke muttered.

Sakura sighed and slipped her hand into Sasuke's. "Should we go see him then?"

Sasuke glanced over at a clock. It was eight. "If he's up I guess."

"Well, we may as well try it." Sakura responded as they headed for the door.

'"'"'"'"

When Naruto answered the door a little while after Sasuke and Sakura left their house, he was still clad in his pajamas, and his eyes dropped tiredly.

"What're you guys doing here?" He asked sleepily.

"You asked us to come over today." Sasuke responded.

Naruto blinked like he was trying to remember, then he shot his best, tired glare at the Uchiha. "Yeah, but did you have to come this early? I typically like to sleep in till ten on my days when Granny Tsunade's not sending me on missions."

"Well it's your own fault for being so lazy." Sasuke responded.

"Hey! Have you been on six different missions in the past two weeks? No! I didn't think so! So shut up, Teme!"

"We can come by later if you want us to, Naruto." Sakura announced.

Naruto huffed. "Nah…come on in. I really wanna talk to you guys anyway. Just give me a bit…."

Sakura and Sasuke followed Naruto into his house. While Naruto disappeared into his room, the couple sat down on the couch in his living room. Compared to the condition it used to be in years ago, Naruto's cleaning habits greatly improved after he started going out with Hinata. Probably, Sakura thought, because he was scared stiff of the thought that Hinata's dad could come by one day and suddenly declare the two of them couldn't be together because he was such a slob; even though in the past five years Hiashi never once came to the apartment.

About ten minutes later, Naruto reemerged from his room, fully dressed and less tired looking. Naruto plopped down into a chair across from the couch.

"So what's up, Naruto?" Sakura inquired.

"Right, well, you two are probably wondering why I asked you to come by." Naruto declared.

"No shit, Dobe, that's probably why Sakura just asked." Sasuke murmured.

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "No one asked you!" He cleared his throat, and looked at Sakura. "Well, while I'm fine asking this of you, Sakura, it kinda degrades me to have to ask the Teme for this…."

Sakura's brow rose. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"Well, nothing's happened…yet." Naruto replied. "That's why I need you guys to help me out." Naruto took in a big breath. "I wanna ask Hinata to marry me."

Sakura's face lit up. "Oh! How sweet!"

"You really can't take being behind me, huh?" Sasuke announced. "I get engaged and now suddenly you want to do it, too."

"Hey! I've been planning this since before you guys got engaged! It's just a coincidence!" Naruto retorted, and then looked down. "It's one of the only reasons I'm okay with Granny sending me on all these missions…I get a lot more money, so I could buy this." Naruto reached into his pocket and pulled out a box.

Sakura reached out and took it, already knowing what was inside. She opened the box to see a silver ring with a pale diamond on top. "Oh, it's so cute!" She commented. "The diamond reminds me of Hinata's eyes."

Naruto grinned and nodded as Sasuke spoke. "And it's simple like his mind." Sasuke muttered, causing Naruto's grin to vanish.

He glared at Sasuke. "Can't you just help me out, Teme?" Naruto chided.

Sakura closed the box and spoke before Sasuke could comment. "Of course we'll help! But…we're not sure what we're supposed to do. There's nothing hard about asking Hinata to marry you. I'm positive she'll say yes."

Naruto blushed and smiled. "Yeah, that's the good thing, but I'm not sure if her old man will say the same thing."

Sakura shot Naruto a sympathetic look, understanding his problem. "That's right…Hinata's from a prestigious household. The heir of the household, in fact. I guess they'd probably be pretty picky about who they hand her over to."

"And that's the problem!" Naruto groaned. "Even if Hinata says yes, if Hiashi says no, then it's the same as her rejecting me…."

"Because you need the father's consent to marry their daughter." Sakura stated.

"I didn't have to ask your dad if I could marry you." Sasuke declared, looking down at Sakura.

"Well at a traditional wedding you still have the father there to walk his daughter down the aisle, and give them his blessings and stuff. My dad will need to do that at ours, and Hiashi will need to do that for Hinata."

"So basically that's why I need to get his permission before I ask her." Naruto concluded. "Because if he says no it's all over…."

"Well what do you want us to do about it?" Sakura asked.

"Well…for one I'd need someone to occupy Hinata. I don't really think it'd be a good idea for her to be there when I try."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah…because I guess she'd either faint, which would kinda ruin the moment, or her presence could affect what Hiashi decides. You never know if inside Hiashi's the kind of guy who doesn't want to see his daughter go."

"Exactly!" Naruto agreed. "Even though her old man really doesn't seem like that kind of guy…and he glares at me every time I come by…that's why I want someone with me when I ask."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You don't seriously need someone beside you to hold your hand through this."

"Okay, one, ew, no, I would never hold your hand, and two, it's just for some moral confidence! Make sure that I don't chicken out or something…or, I guess as the Teme would put it: say something stupid that could make her dad say no."

"Well it shouldn't be that hard." Sakura declared. "I can easily get Hinata away for a few hours, and then Sasuke could help you out with Hiashi."

"But how do I convince him?" Naruto asked. "I mean…what do I say besides 'I want to marry Hinata'?"

"Well what about how you beat Neji in the Chunin Exams?" Sakura suggested. "You managed to outsmart the prodigy of the Hyuga household."

"Ten years ago." Naruto responded. "I mean…I bet I could beat Neji now, but I think I'd need something better than that."

"What about how you saved the village from the Akatsuki?"

"Again…years ago."

"Well, I mean…Hiashi can't deny that you were strong then, so obviously you're even stronger now. There's no way he can reject you for weakness." Sakura continued. "And I mean, he's let you be with Hinata for five years already. I'd think if he didn't like you or didn't think you were good enough he'd have told Hinata to stop seeing you a long time ago."

"Well, I guess I can't argue with that." Naruto sighed. "But what if he comes up with some crazy reason I can't marry her?"

"Then prove him wrong." Sakura answered. "But I don't think he will."

"I don't see why you're freaking out so much." Sasuke huffed.

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "I love Hinata! I really want to marry her! You know how bad it'd be if her dad said no? I'd be crushed!"

"Come on, Sasuke," Sakura looked at her fiancé, "cut him some slack. You said yourself it took you two years to finally ask me."

Sasuke grunted. "I told you, I was waiting for our anniversary to come around."

Naruto scoffed, but Sakura spoke first. "We may as well help him, though. Come on."

"I never said I wouldn't help, just that I think Naruto's overreacting again."

Naruto grinned as he understood what Sasuke meant. "So you are gonna help?"

"I guess I'll do what I can…shouldn't be difficult, though. Just go over there and ask, and don't stop trying to convince him till he says yes." Sasuke stated.

"Right. We can work out the day and time later." Sakura declared.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah! We'll work on that. For now…who wants to go to Ichiraku Ramen?"

"We already ate." Sasuke declared.

"Aw! But I haven't! Why don't we make our plan over at Ichiraku's?"

"So you can try to mooch some money off of us to pay for the six bowls you'd probably eat?" Sasuke proclaimed, standing up. "I think for now we'll head home."

"I think Sasuke's right." Sakura agreed. "We'll head home for now. You're free to come by when you want, though."

"Aw…oh, fine. I'll see you guys later!" Naruto called as the two left the apartment.

The couple walked down the road hand-in-hand.

"So Naruto's finally getting the guts to pop the question to Hinata." Sakura giggled.

"If he has the guts to face Hiashi." Sasuke responded.

"If he does…. I think Hiashi will say yes, though."

"I do, too, but he's too much of an idiot to realize that, which is why he's dragging us into this."

"Yeah…I guess you're right…but I find it kind of sweet."

Sasuke snorted as the two of them reached their house. They were stopped, however, when they noticed a note on the door. Sasuke reached forward, grabbed it, read it, and then passed it to Sakura. "It's for you."

Sakura read the note. It was from Shizune. She was requesting Sakura come down to Lady Tsunade's.

"I wonder what that's all about." Sakura pondered as the two entered their house.

Sasuke shrugged. "I guess you'll find out."

"Yeah…I suppose I better head down there now. Who knows when Shizune left the message."

"Fine." Sasuke replied.

Sakura quickly tip-toed up and kissed his cheek. "I'll see you in a bit."

"See you."

With that, Sakura left the house.

'"'"'"'"

Sakura reached the Hokage's building a little while later. She went up to Tsunade's office and knocked on the door.

"Enter." Tsunade's voice called from the other side of the door.

Sakura walked in at Tsunade's summon. When she came in, she noticed that two other people were in the room.

"Hinata…Kiba…what are you two doing here?" Sakura asked as she came farther in to the room.

"Waiting on you." Kiba answered.

"Me?" Sakura inquired, looking towards Hinata in confusion.

"It's because you three are going to be a team." Tsunade clarified, making the three ninja face her.

"A team…" Sakura echoed. "So you mean we're going on a mission?"

Tsunade nodded. "I figured it was about time to send Team Kurenai out on a mission, but with Shino still gone, I chose you to be his substitute. As for Kurenai, she has other matters to attend to, and couldn't make the mission."

"Oh…alright." Sakura responded.

"So what kind of mission are we getting?" Kiba asked.

"It's just an escort mission." Tsunade responded, holding out a paper. Sakura took it. "You'll be escorting a princess on her way to a neighboring land for a marriage alliance with the prince. You'll take her there, and then stay until she is officially married to make sure there are no troubles beforehand."

"Sounds easy enough. You sure you want to send us out on something so easy?" Kiba questioned.

"Must I remind you that while lately you've been doing better, Team Kurenai hasn't been holding up very well in their rate of success?" Tsunade retorted.

Kiba shut his mouth at this, and crossed his arms.

Tsunade smirked at her verbal victory. "The three of you will leave tomorrow. You'll go to the Land of Honey to pick up the princess, and then you'll escort her over to the Land of Birds where her prince awaits."

The three of them bowed. "Yes, ma'am."

Just as the three of them turned to leave, Tsunade's voice rang out around them. "Oh, wait a moment."

The three turned at Tsunade's call.

A smile reached Tsunade's face. "Sakura…I hear word that you and Sasuke are now engaged."

A light blush reached Sakura's face. Her right hand went to her left and fingered at the ring through the fabric of her glove. "Yeah…we are."

Tsunade's smile broadened. "I'm glad to hear it. After your mission you should come by my place with him. We could have a drink to celebrate."

Mentally Sakura rolled her eyes, flashing back to the many times Tsunade tried to convince her to drink ever since she became 21. "We'll think about it." Which was the only lie she'd ever tell her mentor.

With that, the group left the office.

Kiba put his hands behind his head. "So I guess we better leave early tomorrow."

"Yeah," Hinata agreed, "we can meet in front of the gates."

"Alright." Sakura responded. "Let's meet around…nine. It's not that far off, so I think we should still be able to make it to the Land of Honey before nightfall."

"Okay." Kiba and Hinata replied simultaneously.

After a while the three went their separate ways to their own houses. Sakura eventually came to a stop in front of her and Sasuke's place. She walked in and was immediately greeted by Sasuke, who sat in a chair in their living room.

"That was shorter than I expected." Sasuke commented as he stood up to greet Sakura.

Sakura smiled up at him. "Yeah…seems everyone had been waiting on me…our little visit to Naruto's held them up I guess."

"Them? Waiting? What's going on?" Sasuke asked.

The thought of being at Naruto's and her time in Tsunade's office stopped her for a moment. Then, an idea hit her and she looked up at Sasuke with a smile.

"Do you think Naruto's still at Ichiraku's?" Sakura inquired.

Sasuke's brow rose. "I don't know…probably…why?"

Sakura's smile broadened into a big grin. "I think I have just the window Naruto needs to ask Hinata's dad for permission to marry her."

**Huh…I'm surprised…I thought I'd have to extend this out until the mission started, but in a twist of events, I managed to get enough down so that we get over the 3000 mark. Yay for me. And in another twist of events…in three days I have written three chapters of AtR! I wrote everything except the very first paragraph today! Although…I highly doubt it'll continue any farther because well…I don't know anything that'll happen! Don't know what'll happen on the mission, or with Naruto and Sasuke. I have like…one note on something for the mission, but it's not like that'll last the whole arc. Well, I'll come up with something. Anyway…so on to the next arc! The intro is done, and this was like…a bridge chapter to let you know the situations that drive the next arc. "Naruto wants to marry Hinata! Sakura and Hinata are going on a mission, leaving Naruto and Sasuke behind for the surely crazy time of asking Hiashi for permission for Naruto to make Hinata his wife!" And so on and so forth. So till the next chapter! **


	4. First Day on the Job

**Chapter Four- First Day on the Job**

"You know you just got back." Sasuke murmured.

"I know…" Sakura responded, rubbing a hand over Sasuke's back.

Sasuke sighed into her hair and then let her go from an embrace. They held a kiss for several seconds and then Sasuke took a step towards the door. "I guess I'll see you in a few days."

Sakura smiled up at him. "Yeah…but at least this gives you guys some time to get Naruto permission to marry Hinata."

"Yeah, but I wish it didn't require you having to leave for a few days again. You were here for less than two days."

"Well maybe Lady Tsunade's trying to get my rate of success up so she can name me Hokage." Sakura laughed jokingly.

Sasuke chuckled. "I bet that would piss Naruto off."

Sakura laughed again as she put on her bag and put her ninja cloak on over everything. She joined Sasuke at the door, tip-toed up to plant a kiss on his cheek, and put her hand on the knob. "Well, best not to cloud his mind with anything. You just make sure Hiashi says yes for him."

"I'll do what I can." Sasuke replied.

Sakura opened the door and stepped halfway through it. "Good luck, then. I'll see you later. I love you."

"Bye." Sasuke called. "I love you, too."

Sakura's smile broadened as she took one last look at her fiancé, and then she closed the door behind her and started off towards the village gates.

'"'"'"'"

Sakura was the second one to get to the gate. Hinata had gotten there first. Sakura greeted her with a smile. "Good morning, Hinata."

"Good morning." She responded.

The two stood next to each other silently for a moment, looking around at random things. Sakura's thoughts strayed to Naruto and Sasuke's mission as her eyes flickered towards Hinata. A small smile reached Sakura's face. She was near certain that in just a short amount of time Naruto would have the permission to propose to the shy girl, and she knew she'd say yes. Hinata had liked Naruto for who knows how long; probably, she thought, for as long as she's liked Sasuke, if not longer.

Sakura decided to break the silence. "So…I don't think this mission will be much trouble. My team and I have escorted plenty of VIP people. What about you?"

Hinata subtly nodded her head. "Yeah…we've escorted a lot. It seems like a regular request."

"I know…no normal person really wants to go out and travel alone if there's even a chance they'll be attacked."

"M-hm." Hinata hummed in agreement.

Silence came again. Inside Sakura really wanted to give Hinata the hint of what was happening on the other side of the village, but she knew she had to bite her tongue and not reveal anything. The information probably wouldn't do her any good, especially if something went wrong.

"_Even though I still doubt anything will happen." _Sakura thought. _"But just in case…."_

Just a couple minutes later, a big white thing suddenly crashed down in front of the two girls, making Sakura jump slightly in surprise. She let out a relieved huff, though, as she recognized Kiba riding on Akamaru.

Kiba hopped off of his dog. "Sorry I'm a little late. Akamaru decided he wanted to go the long way. Are we ready to get going?" He asked.

"Yes." Hinata replied, completely unfazed, and the two turned towards the open gate.

Sakura fell into step with them a moment later, and they all exited the village.

"_Come to think of it…I haven't been on too many missions with them before…" _Sakura mused. _"I wonder how different it'll be compared to being with Sasuke and Naruto." _

'"'"'"'"

It had been nearly two hours since Sakura had left. Sasuke sat in a chair in the living room, staring up at the ceiling.

He sighed. "Where is that Dobe…? He was supposed to be here half an hour ago."

As if by command, there was a knock at the door. Sasuke pushed himself up and went to answer it. He was greeted by the frowning face of his male teammate.

Naruto pointed an accusing finger at him. "You were supposed to be at my place a half hour ago!"

Sasuke felt a vein in his forehead twitch, realizing why the blond had been late. "Dobe, _you_ were supposed to come _here_ half an hour ago."

"No! I distinctly remember we said my place!"

"I think what you mean is you heard me say 'my place' and confused who said it."

"Nu-uh! You're the one who got confused!"

Sasuke let out an exasperated huff. "Whatever. You're here now. Let's get this over with."

"Not until you admit you were wrong!"

"I won't help you if you keep acting like this." Sasuke growled, turning around and heading back towards his chair.

Naruto sighed. "Sorry…I'm just nervous."

Sasuke shook his head. "There's nothing to be nervous about. Let's just go and do it."

"First off, though," Naruto began, "we need a plan!"

"What's there to plan?" Sasuke questioned. "We go over, ask to see him, you ask him for permission, hear his answer, and we go."

"But what if something goes wrong? Something almost always goes wrong! I'm handling this matter delicately."

Sasuke sighed. "Whatever…then what do you want to do?"

"See, I came up with this plan, it's near foolproof." Sasuke bit back a snide comment. "We'll sneak in, find him, and then—"

"Why the hell do we have to sneak in? It's just the Hyuga house. It's not like it's some invite only place." Sasuke interjected. "Besides…you're dating Hinata right now, so no one would question why you're there if they don't know she's gone."

"But that's where you're wrong, Teme!" Naruto retorted. "Because every time I go there and Hinata's not there, they say 'Lady Hinata is not here today' and throw me out!" Naruto put his hands on his hips and mimicked a formal accent in a mocking tone at his quote.

"That's why you say 'I'm not here to see Hinata, I'm here to see her father'."

Naruto blinked and fell silent for a moment. "…Never thought about it that way. I mean, the only reason I ever go there is to see or pick up Hinata, so the thought of going over and asking to see someone else was something I never really—"

"Let's just go, Dobe." Sasuke ordered, standing up and heading towards the door.

"Eh…oh, alright. To the Hyuga house! I'm gonna get myself a wife!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes at the blond as he grasped the door handle. "I have no comment. Let's get this over with."

"But that was a comment!"

"Tch, Dobe."

"Teme!"

'"'"'"'"

Meanwhile, with Sakura; she, Hinata, and Kiba still traveled through the forest towards the Land of Honey. It had only been a few hours since they had left, and it seemed they were making good time.

"Hey!" Kiba called, turning his head to look back at the two girls who ran behind him. "Can we stop for a minute?"

Sakura stared quizzically at Kiba, but consented to a stop. They all dropped from the trees into a space just big enough for all of them.

"What's up? Is something wrong?" Sakura questioned as she faced the dog boy.

"Nah, Akamaru just says he's got to use the bathroom." Kiba answered as Akamaru started to sniff around the bushes.

Sakura blinked, unused to anything having to deal with dogs. "Uh…alright."

Kiba grinned. "Think we should stop for lunch while we're at it? I'd say it's about noon."

"Fine," Sakura responded, slipping off her backpack and dropping it on the ground. Hinata did the same thing, and the two began preparing a small lunch.

"Is it always like this?" Sakura whispered to Hinata.

Hinata nodded. "It's just like how a person would need to go to the bathroom. You get used to it."

"Right…." Sakura replied as Akamaru came out of the bushes with his tail wagging merrily.

"Good boy, Akamaru." Kiba praised the large dog. "I'll get something for you to eat." He then got down and started to rummage through his own bag.

The group of four sat in relative silence as they ate their meal. Kiba was the first to comment.

"It's kinda weird, you know," he stated as he looked over at Sakura, "having someone other than Shino on our team."

"Well, hasn't Naruto gone on a few missions with you guys before?" Sakura asked, vaguely remembering the blond having accompanied the team back when they were younger.

Kiba groaned. "Yeah…and if I remember right, those missions usually ended in failure because of him."

Hinata made no comment, and stared down at her food. Both Kiba and Sakura caught this.

"But it's not like he's always a screw-up." Sakura declared, directing her words towards Hinata. "I mean, look where he is now. He's in the running to be Hokage, just like he said he would be."

This seemed to cheer up Hinata a little. She gave a little smile. "Yeah, I know."

"And he's beaten me and Neji before." Kiba commented. "I hate to admit it…but he is pretty strong."

"Yeah." Sakura nodded. "And speaking of Naruto…how has the relationship been holding up, Hinata?"

Hinata blushed at this. "O-oh…um…it's been good."

"Tch, if you ask me it's going pretty slowly." Kiba scoffed. "Five years straight and he still hasn't asked you to marry him yet."

Hinata's face flared up. "Oh…uh…um…I-I'm okay with it. I mean…it's not like I'm in a rush…or anything…."

Sakura decided to take a stab at the little chance. "What would you do if he ever did propose to you, though?"

Hinata's face got even darker, and she had to avert her gaze. "I'd…of course…I'd say yes. But I…don't know how my father would take it."

A secretive grin reached Sakura's face, which she quickly wiped away. "I don't know. I think he'd be glad to have the future Hokage as his son-in-law."

Hinata looked up at Sakura, the traces of a smile on her face. "I would hope…."

"Right." Kiba drawled, standing up and stretching his arms into the air. "Anyway, should we get going now? We've got a good pace, so we may as well keep it."

"Right." Sakura and Hinata replied, standing up and cleaning up their little site.

Once the four of them were off. Sakura made sure to stay ahead of Hinata so she wouldn't see her smile.

"_I wonder how the boys are doing now…. I wonder if they've already got the thumbs-up."_

'"'"'"'"

Knock, knock.

"So you have the plan down?" Sasuke questioned the blond beside him.

Naruto nodded his head enthusiastically. "Yeah! There's no way Hinata's old man can say no!"

A few moments later, the door opened and the head of an unfamiliar Hyuga popped out. He raised a brow at the two. "What do you want?"

"We're here to see someone!" Naruto answered.

The Hyuga eyed Naruto. "You are…Lady Hinata's lover?"

A tinge of pink reached Naruto's cheeks at the title, but he nodded. "Yeah, I guess you could say that."

The Hyuga opened the door and let them in. "Alright."

They both walked into the estate, and immediately Naruto curved off to the left.

"Come on, it's this way." He declared, beckoning Sasuke to follow him.

Sasuke's brow rose. "I guess you've spent more time here than I thought." He followed the blond down a pathway.

The two eventually reached an open, square space, closed off on three ends by building. Naruto stopped in the middle and contemplated the many doorways he saw.

"Now…which one was Hiashi's…?" Naruto mumbled aloud.

"You mean you don't know?" Sasuke growled. "Why didn't you tell that guy you were here to see him? Then he could have gotten him for us."

Naruto waved a hand dismissively. "Always wanting to do things the easy way, huh?"

"Dobe," Sasuke grumbled.

"Shut up, Teme, you're breaking my concentration."

Sasuke opened his mouth to make a comment, but then a voice rang out from behind them. "What are you two doing here?"

Naruto and Sasuke both turned on their heels and were met by Neji and Tenten.

Naruto grinned. "Hey Neji! We're looking for your Uncle! Do you know where he is?"

Neji's brow rose. "Why are you looking for him?"

"Because I'm gonna ask him to let me marry Hinata!"

Tenten giggled. "Well, it's about time. I thought you were never going to ask."

Naruto's eyes landed on Tenten's face as she spoke, and then went down to her round stomach. "Woah," he gasped, "I didn't know it made you look so big!"

Tenten frowned and put a hand over her stomach. "What's that supposed to mean? You're not calling me fat, are you?"

Naruto looked about to comment, but Sasuke elbowed him in the side. "Just ignore the Dobe. Can you tell us where Hiashi is?"

Neji pointed to a door on their right. "That's his room, and if he's not in there he may be in one of the hallways or the dining room, seeing as it's about lunch time."

"Oh…lunch…I forgot to eat my Ichiraku's!" Naruto commented, grabbing at his stomach.

"Actually some lunch does sound good right about now." Tenten declared, looking up at her husband.

Neji nodded. "Alright." He looked over at the two men before him. "I guess all I can say is good luck."

Tenten waved. "Yeah, and tell Sakura to come by some time, okay Sasuke?"

Sasuke grunted in response, and then the couple left.

"Alright!" Naruto cheered, heading towards the door Neji had pointed out. "Let's head in!"

Sasuke sighed, and followed after the blond. Naruto bounded up the steps to the room, and threw the doors open. "Hey! You in here?"

Sasuke's eyes widened slightly at Naruto's bold action, and before he could say something, Naruto suddenly flew backwards with a yell. He landed on his back just a few feet off from Sasuke.

From out of the room came Hiashi, who looked displeased by Naruto's sudden arrival.

"What in the world are you doing?" Hiashi growled. "I believe you've come to the wrong room. You should know that Hinata is not here right now. Now get out of here."

"Wait! Wait! You don't understand!" Naruto declared. "We just—"

'"'

"Smooth move, Dobe." Sasuke grumbled.

"Shut up, Teme! At least I did something!" Naruto snarled in return.

"Besides get yourself thrown out?" Sasuke growled. The two sat against the outside wall of the Hyuga manor.

"Hey, they threw you out, too!"

Sasuke let out an exasperated huff. "Only because I was associated with you. I most probably could have just walked off after your little outburst and gotten off fine, idiot."

"Teme!"

"And you didn't stick to the plan at all! You were supposed to be a lot more dignified than that."

"I forgot it, okay? I was caught up in the moment! Forgive me for improvising!"

Sasuke banged the back of his head against the wall. "So what's your improvisational plan now? All you've done is piss of Hiashi, which makes your chances of him accepting your request to marry Hinata pretty unlikely at this point."

That fact finally seemed to sink in to Naruto, and he let out a depressed sigh. "What am I gonna do?"

"Well, you obviously can't try again today. You'll probably have to wait a day or so for him to cool down. It can't be the first stupid thing you've done there."

Naruto sighed again. "I guess you're right…we're gonna need a new plan."

"We? Why the hell should I even continue to get involved in this?"

Naruto's look turned pleading. "Because you're my best friend! And if you do this I won't bug you to buy ramen for me for a month! Please, Sasuke! This is really important to me! I can't think of anyone else I want to marry more than Hinata!"

Sasuke sighed, and then stood up. "Whatever. Come on, I guess this gives us about twenty-four hours to come up with another plan."

Naruto leapt up. "Right! And this time I'll have it down! No improvisation! I'm gonna do it right! And then Hiashi will have no choice but to let me marry Hinata!"

"Whatever…." Sasuke huffed, and then started off down the road.

Naruto started to run after the Uchiha. "Hey! Teme! Wait up! And you're going the wrong way! Ichiraku's the other way! Gotta have my ramen! And since you technically haven't helped me yet, I can still get you to pay! Hey! Teme!"

Sasuke groaned. _"Sakura's lucky…the worst she probably has to deal with is dog boy…I'm stuck with the Dobe. Sakura…I hope you come back soon…."_

'"'"'"'"

"Hey! I can see it!" Kiba announced from his high vantage point in a tree. "I see the Land of Honey!"

Sakura smiled. "Great! And it's still sunset! We made good time!"

Beside her, Hinata smiled as well. "I guess this means we'll be able to leave early tomorrow…so the mission has sped up a bit, too."

"Yeah, you're right." Sakura agreed. She sighed. "And I guess the sooner the better. It'll take a day and a half traveling with the Princess for us to get to the Land of Birds. The more time we can eliminate the better."

"Right." Hinata nodded.

"Hey, let's get moving Kiba!" Sakura called up to the higher branches.

"Don't need to tell me twice!" Kiba's voice responded, and a moment later he jumped down and landed by Akamaru, who had been waiting patiently for his master. "Ready to go when you guys are!"

Sakura and Hinata both nodded, and then the group took off towards the village Kiba had seen just a little ways away.

Sakura smiled as she knew they were just minutes away from the village.

"_So now our mission really begins." _She thought. _"And hopefully by now Sasuke and Naruto's has ended. And considering that Hinata says she'd accept if Naruto ever did ask for her hand…I can't wait to get back to the village."_

**And that's the end of chapter four! Like I thought, it wasn't four days equals four chapters. More like this took four days to write in itself…. I realized just a little while in I had made an error in some of my planning, so it took me a day of being uninspired, and then another little day of thinking (with still no inspiration) till I came to today and finally knew what I was going to do. And it should work out pretty well! Anyway…so this Saturday I'm popping out the first chapter of the story! (That just tells you where I am right now…it's Thursday as I type this….) So at least I know I now have enough chapters to hold me off for a month! (Ugh…so I'll already have been in school for nearly a month…oh joy….) Anyways…till the next chapter! **


	5. Second Day Trying

**Chapter Five- Second Day Trying**

"Well, Princess, are you ready to go?" Sakura asked politely.

"Yes. Let us be on our way." A dark haired woman replied, the princess of the Land of Honey.

"I don't get why we were called here if she already has a whole pack of personal guards." Kiba muttered so only Hinata and Sakura heard, eyeing the group of armored men who stood gathered around.

"It's just extra protection." Sakura whispered in return. "They can fight, but if it came down to them versus a trained assassin ninja, the odds of their winning is low…that's why we're here. They take care of muggers."

"Hmph, whatever." Kiba huffed, and then turned to look down the road. "At least it's clear today…even if it's cold as hell."

Akamaru barked in agreement, and the carriage holding the princess started to move forward. Kiba jumped on Akamaru's back and led in front, while Sakura and Hinata took either side of the carriage. The guards of the princess stuck to the sides and back of the carriage, marching along with it.

"Alright! To the Land of Birds!" Kiba howled up front, Akamaru barked in response.

As the group walked through the town, Sakura took notice of the villagers. Many of them stopped and stared when the carriage rode past. Some looked oddly at Kiba riding on Akamaru, and a few stared at their headbands and cloaks, obviously unused to seeing real ninjas.

Sakura smiled at a group of little children who gawked at her on the side of the road. They all looked surprised by her smile for a moment, but then they all grinned back at her. Sakura giggled to herself.

"_They're so cute…." _A thoughtful look crossed Sakura's face, and then she casually dipped her head down to hide the blush that reached her cheeks behind her cloak. _"I wonder if in a couple years…we'll have some of our own. Sigh…Sasuke…I wonder what he's doing right now…."_

'"'"'"'"

"Alright, Teme! Today's the day! Today we're gonna make Hiashi see that I am worthy of Hinata's hand! I will marry her!" Naruto boomed, bouncing up and down.

Sasuke stuck a finger in his ear. "Dobe…what the _hell_ are you doing here this early? And quit jumping on my couch."

Naruto jumped off the couch and stuck a fist in the air. "I was starting to go stir crazy! I got up really early today thinking about our mission! I'm ready to get started!"

Sasuke glared at the blond. "Dobe, it's seven in the morning. I highly doubt very many people in the Hyuga house are up right now."

"Hey, you're up!"

"Just because I'm up doesn't…what's the use?" Sasuke turned and started to head for the kitchen. "Give it two hours Dobe. If Hiashi was pissed at you yesterday, he'll be furious if you end up waking him up."

"But then what are we supposed to do for two hours?" Naruto questioned.

Sasuke threw something towards him. Naruto caught it, and just before he registered what was in his hands, something else flew at him and nailed him in the head.

"Ow! What the hell, Teme?" Naruto grumbled, looking down at the two objects the Uchiha had thrown at him. "…A cup of instant ramen and a bottle of water? What's this stuff for?"

"Why don't you try seeing if you can heat it up with your mind?" Sasuke smirked. "I heard only the best ninjas can do it."

Naruto blinked. "Are you serious? You're not lying to me…are you?"

"Now why would I lie to the future Hokage? I'm just helping you sharpen your skills. You want to be the best Hokage ever, right?"

Naruto contemplated it for a moment, and then grinned. "Just you watch! This stuff's gonna be done in three minutes flat!" He plopped down on the ground and set to work preparing the cup.

"Tch, have fun." Sasuke murmured, opening up the fridge to look for some breakfast. "Idiot…that'll keep him occupied."

'"'"'"'"

"Excuse me." The princesses' voice rang out from the carriage.

One of the guards scooted closer to the carriage. "Yes, my lady?"

"I'd like a break from all this riding to stretch my legs for a bit." She declared.

"Of course, my lady." The guard replied, and then looked over to Sakura for consent.

Sakura nodded her head, and then called out to Kiba. "Hey, Kiba! We're stopping!"

"Huh?" Kiba grunted, turning his head to look behind him. "Oh, alright." He turned his head the other way. "Hear that Hinata?"

"Yes!" Hinata responded, and then everyone slowed to a stop.

The carriage door opened, and the princess stepped out. She stretched her arms into the air. "That's much better."

The protection of guards around the carriage slowly started to spread or cluster as they pleased, also enjoying the break they were getting from all the walking they had to do.

Sakura, Hinata, and Kiba all formed together at the front of the pack.

"Looks like everything's running smoothly." Sakura commented. "Not a single incident. Not even a random robber."

"Heh, any robbers were probably too chicken to even consider coming near us. Those guards are practically glued to the carriage, and then of course there's the three of us to consider." Kiba announced, pointing proudly at himself.

Akamaru gave a yip.

"Oh, my bad. Four of us! Sorry, Akamaru." He patted his dog on the head, and Akamaru gave a happy wag of his tail.

Sakura and Hinata smiled at the scene, and then turned to address each other.

"Things really have been going pretty well." Sakura declared. "I think this just may be my first VIP escort mission where I don't have to deal with some crazy strong assassin or something."

Hinata nodded. "Yeah…it's been pretty tranquil…hasn't it?"

As Hinata and Kiba then turned to do their own things, Sakura took a glance around the area they had stopped in. They were following a trail all the way to the Land of Birds, so they had stopped in the middle of the road. She thought it unlikely any other carriage would be on the trail, so it was probably fine for them to stop there.

A guard suddenly walked up to her. "Hello." He greeted her.

"Hi." Sakura responded. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no, everything's fine. It's just…you know…we walk on the same side of the carriage. I don't think you've noticed me, though, heheh."

"Ah, I see. Well, of course I did notice you. It's probably best to be able to recognize all the guards. You never know if one leaves for a moment and something happens and some disguised person tries to sneak in."

The guard laughed. "I suppose…sounds like ninja's perception to me. We're not trained to do that kind of stuff."

"I figured."

"Yeah…. Uh…well, my name's Hatori." He held out his hand.

Sakura smiled and clasped his hand in a shake. "I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you."

Hatori grinned, still holding on to Sakura's hand. After another moment Sakura tried to politely pull her hand away; he let her do so, and then he dropped his own hand.

"Right…so I guess we'll be seeing a little more of each other for the next couple days till the wedding's done with." Sakura announced.

"Yeah…then I guess you guys are heading home. The Hidden Leaf Village is kinda far from here…isn't it?"

"Well, from the Land of Honey it's not that far…at least for a ninja going through the trees. It's less than a day that way. Though I guess a civilian having to take a path might take a couple days to get from here to there, so I guess."

"That sounds about right…. Um…so…is pink your natural hair color?"

Sakura's hand unconsciously went up to her hair. She nodded. "Yes. It might not seem like it, but it is."

"It's nice…I like it."

"Oh, well…thank you."

"Actually, it's not just your hair. You're very pretty." Hatori beamed.

"Oh…um…thanks for the compliment."

"Hey! Sakura!" Kiba's voice called. "We're heading out in a minute!"

Sakura turned her head over her shoulder to see Kiba on Akamaru. "Got it!" She looked back at Hatori. "Well then, I'll see you."

"Right…see you." He walked away and went over to join the other guards who were getting back into formation as the princess climbed back into the carriage.

Sakura stood in place for a moment, thinking.

"_Was it just me…or was he, kinda nervously, trying to flirt with me?"_

'"'"'"'"

"Oh Temeeee!" Naruto sang.

Sasuke slowly opened one eye, having been napping when Naruto came in, and a moment later something cold and wet hit his face. He spluttered and jolted up from bed as Naruto laughed wildly with a now empty water bottle held over Sasuke's head.

Sasuke slammed a fist into Naruto's head. "You asshole! What the fuck was that all about?"

"Watch that mouth, Teme! Don't want to set a bad example, do you?" Naruto chuckled, and then held out a steaming cup of instant ramen. "I did it! Granted it took a little over three minutes, but next time I should be able to—"

"Dobe, you just heated up the water and stuck it in." Sasuke accused.

"No! You told me to use my mind! And I did! After all, I'm the future Hokage! You're just jealous! I bet you can't even do it!" He retorted. The grin on the blonds' face, however, told Sasuke that by "use my mind" he meant he finally came up with the idea to just heat up the water.

"Then what the hell was the water for?"

"Just waking you up."

Sasuke fist clenched, and he felt a strong urge to beat the blond up. He pointed at the wet sheets. "You're drying that."

"What? Why me?"

"Because it was your fault!"

"Don't you mean your fault for leaving yourself so open, Teme?"

"I'm in my own house!"

"Just another reason to be on alert! Never know who's out there, Teme. Burglars, rapists, old enemies."

"Fucking retarded blond Dobe's." Sasuke snarled, and then stomped over to the bathroom to get a towel for his hair.

"Oh, lighten up a little, Teme. After all, today's the day I'm gonna get permission to marry Hinata!"

"Yeah, tell me how that goes, because I'm certainly not inclined to go with you." Sasuke growled as he came out of the bathroom with a towel on his head.

Naruto frowned. "What? But you promised!"

"I didn't promise anything."

"But Sakura said you'd help! You wouldn't go against her, would you? I don't think Sakura would be very proud to hear her so-called loyal and caring fiancé would so easily break an agreement. It could lead her to believe you're not gonna remain faithful, even after you're married, and then—"

Sasuke threw the towel at Naruto. "Shut up already. I'll go, happy now, you jackass?"

Naruto grinned, and then threw the towel onto the bed. "So nice to have a totally whipped best friend."

"What?"

"Nothing! Now let's go! I'll stick to the new plan for sure this time!"

Sasuke turned to face his friend. "New plan?"

Naruto grinned slyly. "I'll tell ya on the way there."

'"'

"This is never going to work." Sasuke declared.

"Sure it will!" Naruto responded.

"It's going to tick him off even more."

"Says you! Once he gets a load of my awesomeness, there's no way he can say no!"

"Then maybe we should come back when you actually have some of this 'awesomeness'."

Naruto glared at Sasuke. "You're a real pessimist, you know that?"

"Maybe you're just an optimist."

"Oh, whatever. We're in now, so we may as well go all the way." Naruto finished. The two currently crawled across the rooftops of the Hyuga mansion.

"This is a stupid plan." Sasuke grumbled.

"There goes that pessimistic attitude." Naruto shot Sasuke a thumbs-up. "It's gonna be fine! We've snuck in, and now we're gonna go over to wherever Hiashi is, pop in, and don't let him go anywhere till he hears what I have to say."

"More like we've snuck in, one strike against us; we'll suddenly appear in his room, a second strike against us; and then we'll be forcing him into a corner to listen to you start babbling, third strike and then you're probably going to get the crap out of you. He _is_ a ninja."

"Yeah, but so are we! Now shut up, we're almost there!" Naruto stated as he poked his head over the side to confirm that they were in the right place. He turned and nodded. "Okay…get ready."

"If you're about to burst in there, you already know what the outcome is going to be."

"Oh, I know, but you see…now that I've done it once, they don't expect it a second time. That's just how they are."

"You're an idiot."

"No time for insults now, Teme. Now get ready…set…dive!" Naruto leapt off the side of the roof and, as before, ripped the doors opened. Sasuke stayed in place as Naruto started yelling, and when the noise died down, Sasuke thought Naruto was getting beaten up again. Until suddenly, Naruto's head popped up over the side.

"What—?" Sasuke began to ask, but Naruto held up a hand to stop him.

"He's not in there…." Naruto announced.

"Greaaat," Sasuke drawled. "So what do we do now?"

Naruto motioned for Sasuke to come down. "I have a plan."

Sasuke's brow rose at this, but he nonetheless dropped down to stand beside his teammate. Naruto quickly scurried into the room, followed warily by Sasuke. What he saw when he came in surprised him. Naruto stood on a table, pushing the tiles on the ceiling up to reveal a big opening. Naruto beckoned Sasuke forward.

"Oh hell no." Sasuke declared in a harsh whisper in case anyone was nearby. "And what do you plan to do once you're in his ceiling?"

"Wait for him to come in, and then pop down and ask. Simple."

"Stupid."

"Come on. You're here now, may as well go the whole nine feet."

"It's the whole nine _yards_, Dobe."

"Actually, it's about nine feet to ceiling…and I knew that."

Sasuke rolled his eyes, and after much griping from Naruto, he was reluctantly forced into the ceiling. Once Naruto put the tile back in place it grew very dark.

"So what now?" Sasuke hissed in a whisper.

"We wait."

"I'm not very comforted by the prospect of having to sit and wait in a dark ceiling with you for who knows how long."

"Yeah, yeah, we all know you'd rather be at home being all moody and moping till Sakura gets back."

"Hn, just shut up. And I do not get moody and start moping when Sakura's gone." Sasuke grunted.

"Just keep telling yourself that." Naruto responded, and then they fell silent as they waited for any noise to indicate that Hiashi had returned to his room.

The two sat in their hiding space in the ceiling for twenty minutes. Sasuke idly drew shapes in the tiles. His eyes had finally adjusted, and he could make out the edges of separate tiles, and Naruto's form beside him. Naruto had been completely silent during the twenty minutes, and he wondered for a bit if he hadn't just fallen asleep.

Suddenly, the two heard a noise. Both of them jolted to attention and listened intently. They could make out the distinct sound of a door sliding shut, footsteps treading below them, and the sound of a male sighing.

Naruto looked over at Sasuke in the dark. They both believed it had to be Hiashi. Naruto's fingers fumbled for a moment to find the crease in the tile. Once he found it, he lifted it up and in a flash he disappeared into the room yelling, "Hiashi Hyuga!"

Sasuke poked his head out of the ceiling curiously. Naruto stood frozen in place. Sasuke blinked into the light, and his eyes landed on another person in the room.

It wasn't Hiashi.

The Hyuga man stared at Naruto, and jumped slightly when he saw Sasuke's head. It fell awkwardly silent.

"You're…not…Hinata's old man…." Naruto stammered.

'"'

"Good job, Dobe."

"Hey! You thought it was Hinata's dad, too!"

"I didn't say anything!"

"Don't try to worm your way out of it!"

"Why didn't you check his chakra to make sure it was him?"

"Why didn't _you_, Teme? If you were smart enough to think of that in the first place!"

Sasuke heaved a sigh. The two sat in front of the Hyuga mansion again. "Any other plans, Dobe?"

"Why are you looking at me?"

"Because it's all your fault we're in this position in the first place!" Sasuke growled.

"And again…if you were smart enough to come up with things we could have done, _why didn't you do them_?"

"I didn't add in the Dobe-factor."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Sasuke stood up. "Never mind…I'm done. I told Sakura I'd help you, and I did. You screwed up. There is a limit, you know."

Naruto hopped up. "Come on, don't say that, Teme! One more time! Just one more! They say third time's the charm!"

Sasuke turned to glare at Naruto. "Give me one good reason I shouldn't just head home, lock the doors and windows, and leave you to do this all yourself, which you should have been able to do in the first place."

"Because you're the straight man! I never would have gotten this far without you! I'd still be at home wondering how I'm supposed to ask her dad in the first place! We've made two plans already…and they didn't go well, but this time I'll listen to you! I'll follow your lead! Just don't leave this all to me! Please, Sasuke!"

Sasuke let out a ragged sigh, and then fell silent as he contemplated things. He turned back around, walked down the road a couple steps, stopped, and then looked over his shoulder at Naruto. "For your sake…third time better be that charm you need."

Naruto stared at Sasuke for a moment, and then a huge grin split across his face. "Yeah! Thank you so much! Next time we're gonna do it! Let's get planning! Tomorrow I'm sure!"

Sasuke said nothing as Naruto ran to catch up with him.

"_He better be right…or Hinata will be home before we ever get the right chance." _He smirked. _"But at least this is giving me something to occupy my mind while Sakura's gone…."_

'"'"'"'"

"I don't know…it's just he keeps…_looking_ at me while we're walking, and not in that 'curious about a stranger' way, more in that 'undress you with their eyes' way. It's freaking me out." Sakura vented to Hinata while the two of them sat away from everyone else. Night had fallen, and their group had stopped in a clearing near the trail. A few guards sat around a fire. Kiba, the princess, and the rest had all already gone to sleep.

"I…don't really know what to say." Hinata responded. "Have you mentioned to him that you're engaged?"

"There's never quite a chance for that. I mean, the last time we talked was the time where I started to get tipped off about it, and now we've just been walking, and I don't quite feel like striking up a conversation just to tell him that."

Hinata nodded, understanding.

Sakura let out a big sigh. "I guess I shouldn't really let it get to me, though. I mean, in a few days I'll never have to see him again, and in a few months I'll be married."

"Yeah, that's true." Hinata agreed.

Sakura glanced at Hinata, and then looked up at the stars above them. _"I wonder what the guys did today…. I'd expect they should have already gotten the answer from Hiashi…so Sasuke probably just sat around the house bored. Either that or Naruto came to bug him or start cheering…I bet Hiashi said yes. And then, when we get home, Naruto can finally propose to Hinata. Heheh…there's something to look forward to."_

Sakura pulled her gaze away from the stars as Hinata stood up. "Well…I guess I'll go to bed…you can wake me up for the second shift when you want to go to sleep."

Sakura smiled at her shy friend. "Alright, I'll do that. I'll probably come in a few hours. Be sure to rest up."

Hinata nodded, and then she took off towards her, Sakura, and Kiba's tent. Sakura redirected her attention to the dark forest around them, and listened idly to the chatter and movement of the guards that remained up.

Inevitably, her mind flickered back to her current issue. Hatori's actions unsettled her. She knew he'd never be able to do anything to her, but just the awkwardness of having to walk near him on their journey, and probably still having to remain close to him for the duration of the wedding made her feel nervous. Her thoughts then skipped over to Sasuke, and she felt a little more comforted thinking of her engagement with him waiting back at home for her.

A small smile reached her face. In one way, it was probably good that Sasuke wasn't with her, or else he may have already tried to hurt Hatori, and probably would have ended up messing up their mission, but at the same time she still wished he were with her, just for the comfort his presence gave her at least.

Sakura's eyelids closed halfway. She couldn't wait for the mission to be over. There was still half a day's worth of traveling left to do, and then at least another day or two in the Land of Birds before they could take off.

"_Well, once this is over…I'll be with him again…. And with how smoothly things have been running…looks like we may be reunited sooner than I'd expected…which is fine by me."_

**Done! Chapter five completed! STILL on a roll! And two chapters finished in two days! This is going gooood. I have enough stuff now so that even if my inspiration suddenly stopped (oh please, no) then I'd have till a few days into September before I'd have to worry about it. Whew…in five days I'll be in school…. (Though by the time this comes out I'll have been in for a little over three weeks….) So hopefully within these five days left, I'll be able to crank out a few more chapters! Woo! Till then!  
And for anyone wondering why I updated a day early…it's because I realized tomorrow I'll be gone for basically the whole day, giving me no time to update! So I decided to be nice and update early rather than late! **


	6. Third Time's the Charm

**Chapter Six- Third Time's the Charm**

"Alright! Day two! Today we're getting to the Land of Birds!" Kiba declared as the group took off on the road the next morning.

Sakura smiled at Kiba's enthusiasm, but then it faded and a chill went down her back as she got that feeling that she was being watched. She didn't even have to look to know the feeling came from Hatori, who walked just a few paces to the side and behind her.

Sakura's right hand came across and touched her left ring finger. An image of Sasuke came to her mind, and she felt slightly comforted.

"_Today we'll get to the Land of Birds…tomorrow should be the wedding, and then we can leave." _She told herself. _"Sasuke's waiting for me back home."_

"Excuse me." A voice called.

Sakura was slightly startled by the feminine voice that rang out. She turned her head to the side to see the princess looking out from the open window of the carriage at her.

"My lady?" One of the guards responded.

The princess shook her head. "Not you. Her."

"Me?" Sakura asked, gaining a nod from the princess. "What is it?"

"Nothing. It's just that it's not every day I get to be near a real live ninja. All we have in our land are guards and knights. We rarely have to call on a ninja."

"Oh," Sakura breathed, then smiled, "well, we're really not that special. We're almost the same as a guard or a knight, it's just where we're from we're referred to as ninjas."

"You're very different from them." She declared. "Guards are only really good for everyday protection from little things. A knight is mainly trained for war. A ninja can do both of these jobs and more, and usually better, too."

"Well, I don't think we deserve that much recognition. It's all a part of the job." Sakura beamed, enjoying having someone to talk to.

The princess smiled back at her. "I still wish we had ninja of our own."

Sakura shrugged and fell silent. Then, "So this marriage…with the prince…what's it for? Treaty? Some sort of alliance?"

"Not all marriages between two different lands have to do with treaties and alliances." The princess corrected, making a perplexed look cross Sakura's face. "It was just arranged…though I don't mind. I've met the prince of the Land of Birds before, and I have a certain fondness for him. I'm happy for our marriage."

"Oh," Sakura's brows rose at this, and she reached for her left ring finger again. "That's good…I never quite understood why or how royal families could just marry off their children for benefit…I'm glad it's for love."

"Well, of course our families will get some benefit for it…but you're right." The princess leaned against the side of the window. "I guess in the Leaf Village you can marry whoever you want?"

"Usually. I don't personally know anyone who had to marry someone purely for benefit, though I'm sure that among some of the more noble families it might happen." At this, Sakura thought of the Hyuga family. They were considered nobles. But everything seemed to be going just fine for them, so she dispelled the little worries that reached her mind, knowing that the Hyuga's probably weren't going to make Hinata marry someone for benefit. Besides, by now Naruto should have Hiashi's approval.

A small smile reached her face. Naruto was probably at home planning out how he was going to propose to Hinata right now.

'"'"'"'"

"Alright…so how am I supposed to ask Hiashi if I can marry Hinata?" Naruto asked.

"I told you." Sasuke answered. "You walk in like a _normal_ and _civilized_ person, tell him you want to marry Hinata, and that you want his permission to do so."

"But that just sounds so…overused."

"_That_ is the only way you're going to get him to agree to you. Just because it's not original doesn't mean it won't work."

"But you'd be surprised how valued originality is!" Naruto retorted before he took a bite of his Ichiraku ramen.

"Trust me…you're already one of a kind. Don't make it any worse than it already is." Sasuke snorted.

"And what's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"That you're an idiot…." Sasuke huffed, and pushed his finished ramen bowl away from him. "Just _do_ it."

"Hmmm…well…how did you ask Sakura's dad for permission?"

Sasuke glared at the blond. "Obviously you weren't listening a few days ago when I mentioned that I _didn't_ ask her dad before proposing. Her dad didn't even know till I already did it."

"Well you should have asked! Then you could have helped me out!"

"What the hell do you think I'm doing now, Dobe?"

"Being unhelpful! You just keep saying the same things over and over again!"

"I told you—" Sasuke bit back his words, and then he finally felt something snap. "Listen! Just _ask_ damn it! Find him and _say it_. Just _say it_. This shouldn't have taken three days! It should have taken less than three minutes! Quit acting like such a freaking child already and do it! I'm tired of putting up with your crap!"

"Uh…Teme." Naruto called.

"What?" Sasuke asked sharply.

Naruto pointed behind him. Sasuke turned his head to see what had caught Naruto's attention. A look of surprise crossed Sasuke's face.

It was Hiashi coming out of a shop.

"Well, shit." Sasuke muttered. He then stood up, grabbed Naruto by the collar, and started to head towards Hinata's father. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Naruto gulped as he stared at the man who would ultimately decide whether or not he would get to spend the rest of his life with Hinata. "Alright."

'"'"'"'"

Based off estimates, it appeared that the group was less than two hours away from reaching the Land of Birds. The sun was almost directly over their heads, indicating that it was almost noon.

"_I guess we're traveling slower than I expected…." _Sakura thought. _"I thought we'd be only a few minutes from the Land of Birds by the time noon came around…oh well…it just means a little longer on the road…even if it also means a little longer of having to walk near that guy…." _

Up ahead with Kiba, Akamaru raised his head and began to sniff the air. His head turned from side to side as he did this.

Kiba's brow rose. "You smell something, buddy?" He sniffed, trying to see if he could pick up what Akamaru caught. His mouth watered. "Ohhh…I smell roasting meat…it smells so good…it's making me hungry."

Akamaru let out a low growl, making Kiba snap out of his hungered trance. "Huh? What? Is there something else?"

Akamaru growled again.

"It's probably just the people who are roasting their meal that you smell." Kiba declared.

Akamaru barked, and then he suddenly came to a stop. The group halted as they noticed Akamaru frozen in place.

Sakura and Hinata came up to the front. "What's going on, Kiba?" Sakura questioned. "Why did you stop?"

"It wasn't me, it was Akamaru." Kiba responded. "He says he smells something weird."

"Weird? Like what?" Sakura pressed.

"I don't know. We can both smell roasting meat, but there's something else that he's picking up. He doesn't want to continue."

"Maybe it's something dangerous." Hinata commented.

Sakura turned to Hinata. "Do you want to check it out with your Byakugan?"

Hinata nodded in consent, and just before she could raise her hands to make hand signs, things came flying out onto the trail, surprising everyone.

"It's animals!" Sakura gasped, watching all the woodland creatures scurry across the road or around their group. "What the hell is going on?"

Hinata quickly activated the Byakugan and looked over in the direction the animals came from. She was silent for a moment, and then she gasped. "There's a fire!"

"Fire?" Kiba exclaimed. "That must have been what Akamaru smelled! Everything's burning!"

"What are we supposed to do?" Hinata asked.

"Where exactly is the fire?" Sakura questioned.

"It's a little ways off, but pretty soon our path will curve and take us closer to it. It'll probably have reached the path by the time we get there."

Sakura cursed, and then looked over towards the carriage and guards. All of them looked confused, still unaware of the coming danger. She turned to face the carriage and walked over to them.

"Listen up everyone!" Sakura announced, making the princess stick her head out of the carriage to find out what was happening. "We can smell and see that there's a wildfire happening in the forest. If we continue on the path, it's sure to catch us. We're going to have to go through the trees."

"Through the trees? But that's dangerous!" One of the guards proclaimed.

"Not if you keep your senses up. If we move quickly, we'll be able to outrun the fire and manage to make it to the Land of Birds safely. However…we'll need to abandon the carriage. It won't make it through the trees. I apologize Princess, but you're going to have to rough it for a couple hours."

For a moment, a look of fear crossed the princesses' face as she realized the situation, but then she opened the door and stepped out of the carriage. "I'll be fine. You just make sure that we get through this."

Sakura nodded, and then turned back to Kiba and Hinata.

"Hinata, we'll need your Byakugan to guide us through the forest and make sure we stay away from the fire. So you take the lead. Kiba, let the princess travel with you on Akamaru, it's your job to keep her safe. I'll cover whatever I can and need to." Sakura instructed.

Hinata and Kiba nodded, and then quickly set to work on their assigned tasks. Once everything was reorganized, Hinata led the group into the thick woods.

Sakura chewed at her lip as they started on their new trail. Her eyes warily scanned the forest.

"_Something feels off…and I get that bad feeling it's not just the fire."_

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke shoved Naruto forward towards Hiashi. Naruto looked nervous for a moment, and then approached him. "Hey! Hinata's da—er…Mister…Hyuga."

Hiashi turned to see Naruto, and he visibly seemed to cringe. "What do you want?"

Naruto struggled to find his words for a second. "I have…something I want to ask you."

"Is that why you've broken into my house twice?" Hiashi growled. "It had better be important."

Naruto stared down Hiashi, feeling some drive return to him at the word "important". It was something very important to him. He felt his courage return.

"I want to marry Hinata!" He exclaimed. "And before you go spouting your eligibility or Hyuga honor or whatever crap you'd say in defense, listen to this! I love Hinata and we've been really happy together for five years! I'm only asking this because I know what prejudice jerks you guys can be about people because of their history, but I'm gonna be Hokage! And then Hinata's gonna live a life ten hundred thousand times better than the life she's got cooped up in some mansion with a bunch of old guys! And I can kick _all_ of your asses to prove it, too!"

Complete silence fell on the street; everyone that had been nearby during Naruto's explosion stood frozen in place in shock. Sasuke's eyes were widened in surprise, and he mentally began to prepare himself for what he'd have to say or do once Hiashi probably beat the living daylights out of the blond between them.

The next thing that happened came as an even bigger shock. Hiashi's usually downcast and unpleasant expression suddenly lifted into a smirk. "Is that so? Well then I expect you to do it. I wouldn't want just _anyone_ to become my son-in-law."

It seemed to take a very long time for Naruto to process what Hiashi had told him. Once it did register, Naruto's entire body appeared to lift up in joy. "So does that mean I can?"

"You may be taking Hinata away from the Hyuga house, but you and she will still be associated with us. It would really be something…if we could say that the Hokage was a part of our family. You better hold true to your word, though."

"Yeah! I _will _become Hokage! And Hinata's gonna be my wife! And then you're gonna eat your words! I'm gonna be the best Hokage ever!"

Hiashi's smirk deepened, and then he walked off without a word.

Sasuke came up behind Naruto, and Naruto turned to face him with a big grin. "I did it! I got his approval!"

"Hn, yeah, only took you three days."

"Oh, who cares about numbers? I'm counting down to me and Hinata's wedding!"

"You still have to propose to her."

"I know! And I know just when I'll do it, too!"

Sasuke looked curious. "When?"

Naruto held a finger to his lips. "It's a secret! Though you'll probably know when it happens."

A perplexed look crossed Sasuke face, and then he blew it off. "Whatever. I'm going home now."

"Wait! But we need some celebratory ramen!"

"We were just eating some. And besides," he smirked, "you said if I helped you, then you wouldn't ask me to buy you ramen for a month."

Naruto blinked. "No way was it a month! I must have said a week! Oh! And technically you didn't help me seeing as all you did was drag me over to him! I could have walked there myself you know! Teme! Hey! Don't walk away from me! Get back over here! I'm telling Sakura!"

Sasuke chuckled as he walked. Naruto's ranting reminded him that Sakura should be home within a few days.

He looked up at the sky. He wondered what she was doing now.

'"'"'"'"

The group traveled like that for over an hour. Hinata told Sakura that the new path they followed would probably take them a little longer than the original one to get to their destination.

The whole time they walked, Sakura felt extremely on edge. She kept turning her head and scanning the trees. She continually counted the guards, the princess, Kiba, Akamaru, and Hinata; making sure that no one suddenly went missing. She felt close to her breaking point.

"_I can't shake that terrible feeling…that terrible feeling that we're being watched. Maybe I should ask Hinata about it…her Byakugan should be able to tell us if anyone has come near us." _

Sakura quickened her pace, trying to catch up with Hinata, and at the same time distancing herself from the rest of the group. She just about reached her when a terrible shriek rang out from behind them. Sakura and Hinata both jumped and whipped around. Immediately they saw the large shuriken blade just centimeters from the princesses' neck sticking out of a tree. Kiba, who sat behind her, had his arms around her waist from pulling her back to keep the shuriken from loping off her head.

Sakura took a step towards the group, but then Hinata's hand grasped her arm and yanked her backwards just as a kunai hit the ground where she had been about to step.

"I'm sorry!" Hinata declared. "He must have been in my blind spot! I didn't see him coming!"

"It's fine." Sakura answered, finally letting some of her nerves settle down as her anxieties were confirmed. "Just tell me where he is, and I'll take care of him."

"He's just to the right. He's in the trees…less than fifteen meters from Kiba. He's…oh! He's arming himself! Quickly!"

Sakura bolted towards the assailant, a kunai in hand. She leapt in the air just as an arsenal of kunai flew at her. She pushed herself off from a branch as she caught sight of a figure dashing from his hiding space. She turned in midair and kicked off from a tree trunk in the direction of the man.

Kunai knives clashed, and when Sakura hit the ground she found herself in a deadlock with a man much bigger than her.

"You're pretty good." He sneered.

Sakura's face remained intent. "So are you…. You knew we had a Byakugan user, and you ever so cleverly kept yourself in her blind spot. But I always had that bad feeling of being watched, so your plan didn't go flawlessly."

"Didn't it?" He declared as they jumped away from each other. "You seemed pretty unsettled by my presence."

"Maybe I was…but I'm not anymore." Sakura got in a defensive stance. "What's a guy like you doing out here anyway? Who's your target? Us? Or the princess?"

The man shrugged. "I don't particularly care who I go for so long as there's a good fight. But for your information, I'm after the princess. The guy who hired me has a daughter, and seeing as a marriage to the prince of the Land of Birds would be beneficial to the business he runs, he'd like me to take care of the princess. With no bride, they'll be free to step up to the plate in an attempt to fill that opening. It's all pointless matters to me…but I like the pay."

"Tch, then I guess this means I'll have to kill you." Sakura proclaimed.

The man grinned. "Really? I'd like to see you try."

Sakura's eyes narrowed. A blurred image came to her mind. "Who are you?"

"Me? Oh, well I'm flattered you're interested." His voice dripped with a snide sarcasm. "My name is Kouya Ryuzaki. I'm—"

"The rogue assassin from the Hidden Sand Village." Sakura interjected. "That's what I thought. You're a new addition to the Bingo Book."

Kouya frowned. "I see. It's true I haven't been around for much time, but it still took them this long to only recently have entered me into the book."

"It's not exactly a book you should be proud to be a part of." Sakura declared. Her defensive stance turned offensive. "It just means that people are going to be pleased when they hear you're dead."

Kouya made no response. The two stared each other down. For a brief second Sakura's eyes flickered into the woods where she could just make out the shapes of her group. Kouya took that split second and attacked. Sakura blocked his attack with her kunai, and then whirled to get behind him. Kouya followed her movement and took a slash at her. Sakura flipped back so her feet hit the trunk of a tree. She ran up it and went to stand on a branch.

"Trying to get the high ground I see." Kouya stated from the ground. He started to make hand signs. "That won't work against me well in a forest."

Sakura's eyes widened as she recognized the jutsu he weaved from his hand signs, and she just managed to jump into another tree as he loosed a fireball and sent it flying into the branch she had been in.

"You started the fire!" Sakura accused.

Kouya grinned. "It was the only way for me to get you guys to leave the trail and come into the forest. I was just giving myself the advantage."

Sakura jumped over to another branch as the flames started to lick the tip of the one she had stood on. She glared down at Kouya.

"Looks like it's going to take more than a couple hours to get to the Land of Birds…." She muttered.

**Finished! And it's the day before I start school…sigh. So! Naruto got the approval! And Sakura's in a bit of a bind…. No more switching between the mission and Konoha. It's all mission now. And I still have a few things to do so…the mission may take another chapter or two. Then we move into the next arc! (Er, well, actually it's more like we move into some filler before the next stuff begins…or…the stuff for…the thing. Um…I have lost my train of vocabulary…. Uh…right. The thing that leads to the thing which affects the thing and makes…yeah…stuff! Stuff will happen! Till the next chapter! **

_**And now as my new announcement:**_** bad news everyone. Updates are gonna have to go on hold. If anyone remembers, back a bit before I started school I was all confident in my abilities that I'd be able to keep up with keeping chapters in stock for weeks to come. Well, since that time exactly one long month ago, I don't think I've even written the equivalent of a chapter. The problems: school for one. I'm swamped with homework, of course, and then every time I get anything that could become inspiration…I'm usually at school and have no way to get it down or hold onto it before by the time I get home…it's gone. Then on the topic of inspiration, I've had none! I've hardly had the drive to proof these chapters! I had to force myself to check this one because right now as I type it's the night before I'll be posting this! (And still, not much is done after this. Yeah, I have chapter seven, but then I only have like…half of chapter eight, and no idea where to go for the other half.) I've been wrestling with the idea of a break for a bit, and it's only now (as in now, now. I just made this decision today) that I've found I need it. Don't know when I'll be back up. I think I at least want to have up to chapter nine or ten ready before I consider making a reappearance. So…for now, and for a bit, Okami-chan out, readers. **


	7. An Exhausting Battle

**Chapter Seven- An Exhausting Battle**

Sakura and Kouya stared at each other for several, silent minutes; each of them waiting for a flicker in the other's gaze to attack.

Sakura's hand twitched towards her weapon pouch, and an instant later Kouya had his hand on a giant shuriken on his back. He pulled it over his shoulder and thrust it at her. Sakura jumped away and the shuriken tore through the branches and leaves behind her. She turned her attention back to Kouya to see him grinning. It only took a second before she understood why.

Sakura turned on her heel and dashed towards her group, watching as the giant shuriken shredded through the trees and arced towards them.

"Hinata, Kiba, watch out!" Sakura bellowed, knowing she couldn't catch the blade in time.

Sakura landed on a branch and smiled with relief as she saw Kiba leap into the air and catch the blade by the handle. When he landed he looked over at Sakura. Hinata did the same.

At that point, Sakura let her strategic mind take over. "Hinata, continue leading everyone to the palace, quickly! Kiba, I'm going to need your help with this guy! Let Akamaru continue taking the princess! Let's go! Move fast!"

Kiba ran over to Akamaru and gave him his orders, and then he jumped into a tree nearby Sakura's. Meanwhile, Hinata responded with a "Got it" and turned in the direction of the palace that only she could see with her Byakugan.

Sakura and Kiba turned to face Kouya, who snickered at the two.

"Two on one? Well, that's not fair." Kouya sneered. His hand landed on a weapon pouch. "You're gonna need more allies than that if you want a chance to beat me."

Kiba started to make hand signs as soon as Kouya finished speaking. When he finished, he crouched down onto his branch as chakra swirled around him. Sakura immediately recognized the Four Legs Technique; the jutsu that granted Kiba his dog-like abilities.

The transformation only seemed to amuse Kouya. "Oh…you're from that clan of mutts, aren't you? Interesting."

Kiba's eyes narrowed with a feral glint. "I'll show you who's a mutt!"

He leapt forward and slashed his claws at Kouya. Kouya moved out of the way, but Kiba quickly ricocheted off a trunk and launched another attack at him. He struck multiple times at Kouya. A few times he managed to rake a claw across the rogue's skin, but most of his attacks were either dodged or blocked.

At one point, Kouya appeared to have enough of Kiba's attacks. He dodged the dog boy once, and when Kiba sprung from another tree at him, Kouya surprised him when he held his ground. He pulled back a fist, swung, and made direct contact with Kiba's chest.

Kiba gagged as the wind rushed out of him, and he fell down a few levels of branches before he caught himself on one.

"Are you okay?" Sakura called worriedly.

He coughed for a moment, but then stood up. "I'm fine! He just caught me off guard was all!"

Sakura turned her attention to Kouya, who smirked down at Kiba. "How pathetic! You thought you really had me back there?" He ran a finger along one of the shallow gashes Kiba's claws had given him. He flicked away drops of blood. "As if!"

Kiba growled, and then jumped up towards Kouya. Kouya held his ground once more, readying himself to counter. Sakura tensed.

Suddenly, Kiba disappeared. Kouya's brow rose in confusion, but then a rustle behind him made him whip around to see Kiba coming at him. He opened his mouth to say something, but he was cut off as something crashed into the side of his face. He flew through the air and fell down the levels of branches.

Sakura stood where Kouya had been; Kiba was beside her. She smirked triumphantly. "Don't forget I'm here!"

Kiba let out a sharp bark of a laugh. "And he calls us pathetic!" He jumped down. "Let's get him!"

Sakura followed after Kiba. They landed on the ground and scanned the area for their enemy.

Kiba sniffed the air, held up a hand, and pointed to his right. Sakura nodded silently, knowing Kiba's sharpened sense of smell had locked in on their enemy. They began to move towards the area Kouya was in, and then jumped away as kunai flew at them.

Kouya stepped into the open, clutching at his jaw.

"Damn girl." He seethed as he tested his mouth. Sakura caught something shiny on his back as he worked his jaw. Her eyes narrowed in scrutinizing wonder.

As Sakura realized what it was she saw, Kiba's hands twitched. "Let's go!" He roared, taking the moment Kouya seemed to be fixated on his mouth to attack.

Kiba lunged at Kouya, who smirked and began to reach his hand behind him. Sakura opened her mouth to yell for Kiba to stop, but it was too late. Kiba thrust his clawed hand forward in hopes of raking his claws across Kouya's chest, but Kouya saw it coming. He pulled away effortlessly, and before Kiba could retreat, he pulled out a hidden kodachi blade and attacked.

Shink!

Sakura stood frozen in her tracks. Unable to move. The scene burned into her mind. Kiba's shocked, pained face; Kouya's grinning, malicious expression; the blade that stabbed into Kiba's abdomen, and protruded out the other side. Briefly, an image came to her mind of the time Sasuke had been run through with a sword years back by Kakashi. She hadn't seen it when it happened, but she figured this was almost exactly what it would have looked like.

With a bloody yank, Kouya jerked the blade out of Kiba's abdomen, and then he leapt backwards into the trees with a laugh. Sakura felt as though she watched in slow motion as Kiba dropped to his knees, and then fell face first onto the ground with a dull thunk.

"_Kiba_!"

'"'"'"'"

"I'm gonna get married! I'm gonna get married!" Naruto sang merrily as he and Sasuke walked down the roads of Konoha.

"You still need to ask Hinata, you know?" Sasuke stated between Naruto's singing.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke. "I know! In fact, I know exactly when I'm gonna ask, too!"

Sasuke's brow rose curiously. "When?"

Naruto grinned and held a finger to his lips. "It's a seeecreeet! But don't worry, I'm pretty sure you'll be there when it happens, and you'll know when it's about to happen."

"What?"

Naruto snickered and then turned to look back down the road. He suddenly started to wave his arms. "Hey Ino!"

"Oh great…." Sasuke groaned quietly. "Two loudmouthed blonds in the same place…here come the headaches."

"Hey!" Ino responded. "Where have you guys been? I haven't seen you in the past few days."

"Eh…busy." Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his head.

Ino beamed and looked around Naruto at Sasuke. "And don't you look sour as ever, Sasuke. Missing Sakura? You always seem to be cheerier with her around."

"He's cheery?" Naruto laughed. "Oh, I see how it is. You're all mean when I'm around, but you're bright and happy as a rainbow when you're with the girls! Ahahaha!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "Don't make assumptions."

"So does that mean you're not denying it?"

Sasuke's glare narrowed. "Just drop it. Why don't you tell Ino what you've been blathering about all day?"

"Huh?" Ino perked up. "What happened?"

Naruto turned to Ino with a huge grin on his face. "Oh…not much. Just that I got permission from Hinata's old man to marry her."

Ino gawked at Naruto in disbelief. Sasuke quickly put his hands over his ears just in time as Ino let out an earsplitting shriek of excitement and pounced on the blond before her. "I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU TWO!"

"Haha, well, I haven't asked her yet." Naruto declared.

"Aw, that's right…she's still on that mission with Sakura and Kiba."

"Yeah…but I already know when I want to do it!"

"When?"

"Not telling! It's a secret!"

"Oh, come on!" Ino pouted. "You can tell me! I can keep a secret!"

"Ha, yeah right." Naruto ducked as Ino attempted to slap him in the face. "Hey! When we told you to keep me and Hinata's relationship a secret for a bit till we could tell her dad, half the village knew by sundown! And Hiashi was one of them! You know how awkward it was coming over to her house after he found out from some Hyuga and not us? Very!"

"Well people were just going to find out anyway!" Ino retorted.

Naruto sighed. "You'll just have to wait and see like everyone else! Oh, and _do not_ let this slip to Hinata! She can't know! That's the only secret I'm trusting you with!"

"My lips are sealed. Can I tell the rest of our friends though?"

"So much for sealed." Sasuke huffed behind them.

"Fine, so long as you tell them _not to tell Hinata_." Naruto emphasized his last words critically. "I want it to be a total surprise!"

"Okay, okay." Ino agreed. "Hm…actually…now that I think about it…all of our significant others are all on a mission together right now, huh?"

"Oh yeah, you're right!" Naruto nodded. "It's Hinata, my girlfriend; Sakura, the Teme's fiancée; and Kiba, your boyfriend!"

"I wonder how they're doing right now." Ino sighed thoughtfully. "There's bound to be some sort of difficulties escorting a princess."

"Probably." Naruto shrugged.

"I hope they're okay."

"Ah, I'm sure they're fine." Naruto grinned. "I bet they're in the Land of Birds right now completely bored out of their minds."

'"'"'"'"

Sakura dashed towards Kiba's motionless body, her hands glowed ready with medical chakra.

Suddenly, a flash above made her jump back. A shower of flames rained down in front of her, creating a fiery wall between her and Kiba.

Kouya gave a sharp laugh from above. "You'll end up like him if you take your eyes off me!"

Sakura grit her teeth, her gaze flickered between the flames and Kouya. Her thoughts went to Kiba's injury. She knew it was serious, and if she couldn't get to him soon, it'd be fatal for sure. However, she couldn't work with Kouya attacking.

She balled her hands into fists and glared up at Kouya. _"Kiba…don't you dare die."_

Sakura reached for her weapons pouch and quickly threw out an arsenal of shuriken. Kouya replied to her shuriken with some of his own. Most clashed and fell to the ground, and the few that missed were dodged on both sides.

Sakura took the moment Kouya looked away from her to dodge to sprint into the trees. She ran up one and leapt onto a branch. Kouya found her easily, and the two stared at each other now on the same level.

She didn't hesitate, knowing that every minute the battle was prolonged was another minute later that she'd come to Kiba's aid, and by then it could be too late. She leapt to the side and bounced off a tree trunk. From there she hurtled towards another trunk and did the same thing. Her goal was to keep Kouya guessing on where she'd come from.

Suddenly, something ripped across her stomach. Sakura gasped in shock and quickly put her hand over it. She stopped on a branch and crouched as she felt something wet seep through her glove onto her hand.

Kouya laughed a little ways off. "You thought you could confuse me doing that? Please! Your movements were so predictable! And you should have learned a lesson when your friend tried something similar and failed! It leaves you so vulnerable to attacks! Pathetic!"

Sakura let her breath hiss out through her teeth as she started to work on the injury. A sound behind her made her stop, though, and jump off the branch just before a giant shuriken lopped it off from the tree. She flew down a few feet and landed on another branch. She looked up at Kouya, who was already armed with another giant shuriken.

"Like I'm going to give you any time to heal your wounds." Kouya sneered before he loosed the shuriken at her.

Sakura dodged the shuriken, and retreated into the trees. She clutched at her still bleeding wound. _"I have to do something about him…. Think Sakura…think." _

Sakura jumped from branch to branch, and at one point turned in midair and chucked a kunai at Kouya, who pursued her. He landed on one branch and sprang to the side just in time to dodge the blade. Sakura then continued to run.

"_He's astoundingly perceptive. His eyes can track almost as well as the Sharingan. That will be a huge problem. He uses fire jutsus, which work to his advantage seeing as the whole battlefield is like a big matchstick. His attacks are ruthless, and aimed to kill, but right now he's toying with me to draw out the battle so Kiba will die of blood loss." _Sakura's brow furrowed. _"He's one hell of a challenge. My only chance is to outsmart him…but that perception of his makes it difficult. I'm going to have to draw on every ounce of wit I have to beat him."_

Sakura dropped down from the tree branches to the ground and kept running. She panted heavily, and she could feel blood trailing down her legs from her wound. A kunai flew past her and pierced the ground just in front of her. She veered to the side and curved back close to her original path. She could hear Kouya laughing amusedly above her.

Suddenly, Sakura's foot caught on a branch, and she flew forward. She hit the ground hard enough to make her head spin. Her eyes blearily stared forward, making her see double. Her mind buzzed with a faint thought as a kunai whizzed through the air and stabbed into her cloak.

Sakura's fist clenched and she grit her teeth. She reached behind her and ripped the kunai out of her cloak. She stumbled to her feet, stabbed the kunai into a tree beside her and started making hand signs. A clone appeared beside her and then she ran, leaving the clone to stand there.

Rustles above told her that Kouya entirely ignored the clone and continued to pursue her. She dashed from tree to tree, pushing herself forward by shoving her hands against the trunks of the trees.

Finally, Kouya decided that he had had enough of the game of chase. He dropped down from the trees just behind the kunoichi. He pulled out his last giant shuriken.

"This is the end for you, girl!" He declared triumphantly.

Sakura stumbled and fell against a trunk. She panted heavily for a moment and then turned to look at Kouya. Her expression made him freeze. Wearily, she smiled at him. "That's where you're wrong, Kouya."

Kouya's face was a mask of confusion. Sakura laughed lightly from her heavy panting, and held up her fist. Kouya still had no idea what was going on, but then his eyes widened as he caught the flash of a string in her hand, and suddenly, the clone he had ignored appeared from behind the tree and took the thread from its caster.

Kouya's eyes followed the string down the trail Sakura had been running, and then he finally saw what was going on.

"I caught you." Sakura breathed as her eyes followed the circle she had made with the string.

Kouya growled, but then grinned. "I don't see what you could do with—" His words were cut off as from her cloak Sakura pulled out a paper bomb, and slapped it onto the tree she had stuck the kunai in, just as she had done to all the trees she had ran past while Kouya chased her.

Sakura moved backwards as Kouya, realizing what was about to happen, bolted to get out of the circle, but the clone Sakura had cast was suddenly on him. It knocked him to the ground.

"No—!" Kouya began to scream as Sakura dove behind a tree and clapped her hands over her ears just in time to muffle the explosion that went off inside the circle. There were a series of deafening cracks and crashes. Debris flew through the air around the kunoichi, and she huddled closer to the protective tree.

After that, it became completely silent. Sakura slowly removed her hands from her ears, and stuck her head around the tree. The sight before her looked horrendous. Trees lay in a thick pile of charred ruins. Sakura stood still as she tried to sense any kind of life in the rubble. There was none.

Sakura let out a relieved sigh that echoed around her. She knew she was safe. She leaned against the tree, and then she turned her attention towards the wound on her stomach. She made quick work of healing it, stood, and then dashed towards where she knew Kiba lay, hopefully still alive.

When she reached the clearing Kiba lay in, she was glad to see that all the flames Kouya had loosed on them had died out, and none had reached him. She went to his body, sat down, and immediately checked his vitals.

Several, stressful seconds passed, but then Sakura caught a pulse. She felt herself decompress as the worst of her stress finally left her, and then she became serious once more, and set to work with her skills.

'"'"'"'"

Hinata moved around worriedly, unable to sit still. She was in the Land of Birds, and only her duty to protect the Princess kept her from dashing into the woods to find her friends. Akamaru whined as he watched her pace, which momentarily brought her to a stop.

She smiled weakly. "Don't worry Akamaru…. I'm sure…that they're fine. They probably just got lost on the way here. But they'll find the way. They're probably just a few feet away right now."

Akamaru whined again, but then his ears perked up, and he sniffed the air. Hinata watched the dog, and then turned her attention towards the gate as Akamaru barked.

She heard them before she saw them, and she almost collapsed with relief as she saw Sakura with Kiba being supported by her step into view. Hinata and Akamaru ran towards the two happily.

"Are you okay? You're not injured badly are you? What happened?" Hinata asked quickly as she took Kiba from Sakura.

"It's a really long story." Sakura replied. "And I don't think I can stay up long enough to finish telling it. All I want right now is a nice bed. Not even a bath. Just a bed. Or just the floor! It looks as soft as a fluffy cushion right now! Hahaha."

Hinata laughed with her, and Kiba let out a shaky laugh as well. "Okay. You can tell me tomorrow then. I'll show you to our rooms."

"Please and thank you!" Sakura responded, and followed after the shy Hyuga.

When Sakura reached her room just a few minutes later, she paid no attention to her dirty, bloody clothes, or to the towels on a chair she could have used to clean herself up a bit, or even to the fact that she still wore her boots and ninja gear. All she could see was the bed. She fell onto her pillow face first, and with hardly another thought, she was asleep.

**I'M BACK! Did people miss me? Were you people mad about being left on a cliffhanger for so long? Sorry…but the posting of this means that now I'm back up and writing from my little slum. Anyway, so what do you think? This chapter was rather difficult for me…. I mean, I had to basically write the Kiba and Sakura vs. Kouya fight backwards because all I knew I wanted was Kiba getting stabbed, and I had to come up with Sakura's little plan to defeat Kouya on the fly. I'm pretty sure what happened isn't even a possible move. Well…it is now! (At least in this little universe.) And…yeah, it's just been a tough road. (Though not as tough as chapter eight, which you people will read next week for those of you reading this the day I posted this.) Anyway, so Okami-chan's back and out till next week! YAY! **


	8. Reunited

**Chapter Eight- Reunited**

"So after that, I knew I had to lay a trap for him to fall in to if I wanted any hope of beating him." Sakura explained the story of yesterday's fight to Hinata over breakfast the next morning. "It was a simple trap. A few paper bombs, a string…but it worked. He's dead. I'm positive. Then, I just healed myself up, and then ran to Kiba's aid. Now here we are."

Hinata nodded lightly at Sakura's storytelling. "I'm glad it went okay. The princess was happy to hear that the two of you had returned, as well."

"Oh, that reminds me." Sakura declared as she finished off her meal. "Is the wedding today?"

Hinata nodded in confirmation. "The prince and princess met up soon after we arrived, and the prince said as soon as there was word that there was no danger of an assassin coming that they'd be married immediately."

"Great! So we can probably leave later today or tomorrow morning!" Sakura beamed, thinking happily of what awaited them back home.

Soon after they finished eating, the door flew open and the princess, as well as her guards, strode in. Sakura felt an uncomfortable shiver run down her back as she spotted Hatori among them staring at her, but she put on a smile for the princess.

"I'm so glad to see you two are alright." The princess announced, looking from Kiba to Sakura.

"Well, you know, all in a day's work for a mission." Sakura responded.

"Yes." The princess focused her gaze on Sakura. "Well, as to why I'm here. I have a request."

"Ask away, your Highness." Sakura urged.

"Would you mind being one of my maids for the wedding? I know you'd have been there anyway to be sure that nothing goes wrong, but I'd feel much more comforted during the whole thing if I knew you were nearby. That, and we're short a maid anyway."

Sakura seemed surprised by the request, but she quickly returned back to her smile. "Of course. I would be honored."

The princess smiled. "Thank you! The wedding will begin in a few hours, so I guess you'd better get yourself fitted and ready. There will be some people in the main hall to give you instructions once you're ready."

Sakura stood up from the table. "Alright."

Hinata and Kiba stood up with her, and Hinata accompanied Sakura down the hall towards where she'd be fitted for a dress.

"_Well," _Sakura thought, _"This won't be so bad. After all, it'll be great to get to see a real wedding in action…just before my own." _Sakura gave a broad smile and giggled lightly. _"Sasuke…I'll be back soon." _

'"'"'"'"

"And with this marriage, we shall not only unite two people, but two lands together in a strong bond that will last through the ages." The priest declared at the altar. The wedding was in session.

Sakura couldn't stop looking around and taking in the whole set-up. The prince and princess standing at the altar with their hands entwined; the crowd of people seated and watching the spectacle; the people who stood with her on the sides as the bride and groom exchanged their vows. The whole thing made Sakura wish desperately that it could be her and Sasuke in place of the prince and princess up there getting married. She knew it was still months until the two would be wed, and at that moment, it seemed like that day was years away.

Suddenly, the whole place erupted into cheers, and Sakura realized that the wedding was over. She had missed the vows. She silently cursed her luck as she moved with the rest of the people around her down the aisle after the newlywed couple.

Soon after, Sakura found herself in the swing of the after party. She watched from the sides as people danced and chatted merrily.

Hinata walked up to Sakura. She was also clad in a dress, having been one of the members of the audience.

"It looks like everything went just fine." Hinata declared.

It took a moment for Sakura to process what Hinata had said, and then she nodded. "Yeah. Everything went off without a hitch. Looks like there was only one guy crazy enough to hire an assassin to take out the princess."

Hinata agreed, and then the two stood there for a moment in silence.

Sakura was the first to speak. "You know…this wedding has me so anxious for the day Sasuke and I will get married."

Hinata stared at Sakura for a moment, and then blushed lightly. "Yeah…I know what you mean."

Biting back the urge that bubbled inside Sakura to just spill it to Hinata that Naruto was most probably going to ask her to marry him soon, Sakura tried to focus on other things. "I like that dress you're wearing."

Hinata looked down at her faded violet dress. "Oh…thank you. I really like yours as well."

Sakura also glanced down at her pink and red dress. The stylists had chosen it to not only suit her, but to compliment the pink and gold dress that the princess had worn. "Thanks."

All of a sudden, a movement caught Sakura's eye, and she tensed as she saw Hatori, who was garbed in a tuxedo because he hadn't been chosen to be an on-duty guard during the wedding. Hinata caught Sakura's frozen stature, turned, saw Hatori, and shot Sakura a questioning look. Sakura sighed and nodded, and Hinata walked off as Hatori reached Sakura.

"Hi." He greeted, not being subtle about the up-and-down look he gave Sakura. She suddenly felt self-conscious.

"Uh…hey." Sakura responded.

"The wedding went very well. I'm happy for my princess." Hatori commented.

"Yeah, it went great."

"It really has me thinking about love…you know?" Sakura felt her stomach clench.

"Is that so?" Sakura squeaked out.

He nodded, looked away bashfully for a moment, and then looked back up at her. "It also had me thinking…I'd really love it if maybe we could possibly—"

"Before you finish that sentence," Sakura interjected, knowing automatically what he had planned to say. "There's something you should know."

Hatori looked confused. "What is it?"

Sakura took in a breath. "I'm engaged. Happily engaged. To a man I love with all my heart."

When what Sakura said sunk in to him, Hatori looked stunned, embarrassed, and saddened at the same time. "Oh…" was all he could manage.

"Yeah…sorry."

"No…that's okay." Hatori muttered, though the defeated look on his face said otherwise.

Debating for a moment on the proper response, Sakura awkwardly reached out and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry…. Sure there's someone for you."

Hatori cracked a shy smile. "I guess."

Sakura pulled her arm back to her side, and turned slightly in the direction of the door. "Well, I had better be on my way. The sooner we get home, the better."

"Right."

Sakura started to make her way towards the door where she saw Hinata standing, waiting for her.

"Um…Sakura?" Hatori suddenly called.

Sakura turned on her heel to face him. "Hm?"

"Uh…I hope you'll be happy…with him."

Briefly, Sakura felt a slight pity for the guard. He obviously had perverted tendencies, but he wasn't so bad to go for someone even though they have another man waiting for them. She smiled lightly. "I'm sure. Thanks."

"Um…who is he, by the way? If you…don't mind me asking."

Sakura's smile broadened as Sasuke came to her mind. "His name is Sasuke. Sasuke Uchiha."

"I've heard that name before." Hatori seemed to vaguely recall a memory. "Isn't he…?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes. He's the last Uchiha. Well…at least for a little while longer." A slight blush crept up on Sakura's cheeks as she thought back to the children who had stared at her back in the Land of Honey.

"Yes…I suppose so." Hatori shifted. "I guess this is goodbye. I'll probably be too busy to see you leave, seeing as I'll have to stick by the princess and all…."

"Yeah, I guess." Sakura responded, and then meekly held up her hand. "Goodbye."

"Bye."

Sakura then turned back around and walked over to Hinata.

"You ready to get going soon?" Sakura asked.

Hinata nodded. "Sure."

"Let's go change out of these dresses, and then we'll go find Kiba."

"I already know where he is." Hinata stated. "There's a buffet after the wedding."

"Ah," Sakura responded with a chuckle in her voice. "Makes sense. Hope they have enough to feed him and Akamaru. Guys sure do eat a lot."

Hinata giggled lightly. "Yeah…."

With that, the two turned and left the room.

'"'"'"'"

The feelings Sakura got when she, Kiba, and Hinata first spotted the walls of the village were indescribable. She was extremely anxious to get home. She mentally thanked Hinata several times over when she offered to be the one to head over to the Hokage's place to report about the mission. With that decided, Sakura practically bolted for home.

The door was unlocked when Sakura twisted the knob of the front door of her and Sasuke's place. It was her indicator that Sasuke was home. She half expected to walk in and see Naruto in there as well, perhaps still cheering about the results of Hiashi's response, which was another thing Sakura was anxious to hear about.

When she walked in, though, she was instead greeted by the sound of running water and clinking glassware in the kitchen. Sasuke was doing dishes. She smiled, took off her cloak, placed down her backpack, and tip-toed over to the kitchen; sure that the work Sasuke was doing muffled the sound of her opening the door so that he hadn't even heard her enter.

Poking her head around the corner, Sakura's eyes immediately softened as she spotted the Uchiha with his back to her. She slipped around the corner and came up behind him.

The moment Sakura's arms wrapped around Sasuke's midsection he whipped around, immediately knowing it was her. His mouth connected with hers a second later, and Sakura automatically responded. She leaned into him, finally feeling just how badly she had missed his touch.

When they broke their kiss, Sasuke pulled Sakura tightly against him. "Glad to see that you're home." He stated.

Sakura buried her face in his shirt and inhaled his scent. "Glad to be home."

"How'd the mission go?"

"It was a success. How was yours?"

He smirked. "A success. Though it took three days."

Sakura laughed. "Why'd it take you three days?"

"The Dobe." He answered, as if it was self-explanatory.

Sakura sighed. "Well, I'm glad to hear he still got a yes. When's he gonna ask?"

"I don't know. He's keeping it a secret."

"Aw, that's no fair."

"He said I should know when it happens…so I wouldn't doubt it if you do, too."

"I guess." Sakura huffed.

Sasuke chuckled and loosened his grip on her. He kissed her forehead and then came down to kiss her lips again.

"So any mission stories?" Sasuke inquired.

"Uh…just the usual. Escorting VIP's, dealing with an assassin, nearly getting killed. Ninja stuff." Sakura thought it was probably a good idea not to mention Hatori to Sasuke.

Sasuke shook his head. "Yeah, sounds like the usual."

Sakura turned towards the living room. "Well, I guess I'll unpack and take a shower."

"Okay." Sasuke glanced at a clock. It was almost six. "I'll start making some dinner."

Sakura smiled. "That sounds great. I'll see you in a bit."

'"'"'"'"

That night when Sasuke crawled into bed, he happily found Sakura beside him again. The past few days being in bed felt freezing cold in retrospect, just like all the other days that Sakura was gone and he was left at home to wait for her. It felt like sleeping without a blanket.

He snuggled closer to her as a contented smirk played across his features. He was glad that she was home.

'"'"'"'"

"Hey! Look who's back!" Ino chirped when Sakura and Sasuke walked into Ino's shop the next morning.

"Yep, I'm back." Sakura responded. She guessed that Kiba hadn't been by Ino's place yet.

"So how'd the mission go?" Ino questioned.

"Fine."

"Just fine? Come on, there has to be more than that! Escorting a princess, there had to have been at least one scuffle or issue."

"Oh yeah, there was that. Though I don't know why it's so special if that's what always happens. Kiba will probably tell you more about it when he finally gets over here."

"Yeah…where is he anyway? I told him to come by as soon as he got home."

"We were traveling basically all day yesterday. Cut us some slack. He's probably still asleep." Sakura glanced to the side at a clock on the wall. It was only eight in the morning. She only knew Ino was up because the shop opens at seven.

"He can't be! He always walks Akamaru at seven thirty. Something's up…he's avoiding me again. Oh, he's gonna get it."

Sakura sighed and rolled her eyes. She slightly leaned against Sasuke as she spoke. "Ino, don't get paranoid. That's what caused the last breakup."

"And the last thing I need is her taking up the couch again to gripe about it to you." Sasuke muttered so that only Sakura could hear. She squeezed his hand she held.

"But anyway, if you're not here to tell me about the mission, why are you here?" Ino asked. Then, her mouth broke out into a grin and she leaned on the counter. "Finally here to discuss wedding plans?"

"What?" Sakura stared at her friend. "The wedding's not for a while."

"Well you have to know what you're paying for! I mean…what you'll have! That's why people are always engaged for so long! The preparations take forever! The sooner you get everything planned out, the sooner that engagement ring can become a wedding ring."

"I'm in no rush." Sasuke shrugged his shoulders.

Ino cast a slight glare at the Uchiha, and muttered something about men before she grinned again. "Do you even know your positions?"

Sasuke's brow rose, indicating he had no idea what the blond spoke of.

Ino let out a dramatic sigh. "Sakura! Does Sasuke know anything past the proposal and the moment you two are joined together?"

Sakura glanced at Sasuke's expression and giggled. "I guess not. What she means, Sasuke, is we have to decide who's doing what. Who's your best man? Who's the ring bear? Who're my bride's maids?"

"Oh, that." Sasuke huffed. "Well, obviously Naruto's the Maid of Honor."

That statement caused Sakura to erupt in laughter. Ino gawked at the Uchiha, but couldn't quite contain the giggle that escaped her lips.

Once Sakura regained control of herself, Ino shook her head and said, "Seriously."

"You thought I was joking?" Sasuke responded, causing Sakura to laugh again.

"You better be! I mean, there's an _obvious_ choice for who should really be the Maid of Honor." Ino cast a look at Sakura.

Sakura snapped her fingers. "Tenten. Definitely."

"Sakura!" Ino roared.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding!" Sakura laughed. "I know about your fantasies. I'll let this one be real. You'll be the Maid of Honor. Then of course Hinata and Tenten will be my bride's maids." Sakura looked up at Sasuke. "And we'll have Naruto and the best man."

"More like best Dobe." Sasuke murmured. This time Sakura just shook her head.

"You know, I never knew Sasuke was so sarcastic." Ino commented. "Look what you've done to that old emo kid who used to sulk around the village, Sakura. You made him sociable."

Sasuke cast a warning glare Ino's way, but she didn't seem to notice. She reached under the counter and hauled out a big binder.

"Okay! Now on to more planning!" Ino beamed. "You guys need to choose what kind of flowers will be at your wedding! Now, I'll let you know that if the wedding's in the spring, there is a spring discount seeing as so many flowers are blooming at that time. Of course, if you choose a kind that's not seasonal with spring, then the price will probably be about normal, maybe a little pricier. Of course then also—"

"Ino," Sakura interjected, "we're not here to talk about buying flowers."

"But do you know how many flowers go into decorating a wedding? I mean, if you told me now then I could easily adjust and prepare for all that harvesting I'm gonna have to do. I'll need to be able to plant them at the right time so they're ready by the wedding, and I'll have to—"

"I-no." Sakura interrupted again. "We're not here to talk about the mission or flowers or the wedding or things like that."

"Then what other reason is there to come by?"

"Because I remembered that you borrowed some of my medical textbooks a few weeks back, and I really need them back right now."

"…"

"…"

"…Where did I put those books again? Better check that flower pot that wasn't in the right light. Did I use a couple of those to boost it up, or—"

"INO!"

'"'"'"'"

"Awww, the lovebirds are back together again!"

"Naruto…shut up." Sakura huffed as she and Sasuke stood in Naruto's doorway.

"Why so touchy?"

"I have an Ino-sized headache right now."

"Oh…. Oh yeah, so where's Hinata? She hasn't come by yet."

"Probably at home still if she's not here." Sakura responded.

A memory appeared to hit Naruto, and he grinned. "Ah, yeah! Teme, did you tell her?"

"Yes, I told her." Sasuke answered. "I also told her how it took three days to do because of your stupidity."

"Hey! But we still succeeded! Now Hinata's gonna be my wife!"

"Which reminds me," Sakura piped up, "when are you asking her?"

"It's a _seecreeeet_!" Naruto chimed.

"Come on, you can tell us! Aren't we your best friends?" Sakura pressed.

Naruto shook his head. "Still can't tell you! I want it to be a total surprise!"

"If you wanted it to be a total surprise, you could have just not told us at all." Sasuke commented.

"Ah, quit patronizing me, Teme! No one asked for your opinion!"

"Come on, guys. Don't start fighting right now." Sakura sighed.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, and then looked away from the blond before him.

"He started it." Naruto muttered, but then returned his attention to Sakura. "So what's up?"

"Just letting you know I'm back, and I guess also letting you know that Hinata's back. Oh, and to say congratulations and good luck on proposing to Hinata."

"I know! I'm so proud! How about we go eat some ramen in celebration!"

"Dobe," Sasuke cut him off, "remember what we agreed on."

Naruto crossed his arms and put on a pouty face. "Come onnnn!"

"What happened?" Sakura asked.

"We made the deal that if I didn't ditch him to do his stuff with Hiashi, then I wouldn't have to buy him ramen for a month."

"Smart." Sakura murmured so only Sasuke could hear, which made him smirk.

"But it already feels like it's been a month!"

"Maybe in your Dobe land." Sasuke retorted. "It's been two days. Suck it up and go buy your own ramen."

"You are so mean! You know that, Teme!"

"Hey, Naruto, why don't you just go find Hinata and take her out on a date for ramen?" Sakura suggested. "Then you can be with her, and you still get your ramen. Though you should pay. Give Hinata a break."

Naruto's face lit up. "That's a great idea, Sakura!" He began to move towards the door. "I should go do that! You're a genius! Hinata and Ichiraku's, here I come!"

Sakura shook her head and giggled lightly at how easily Naruto was persuaded. She and Sasuke stepped out of the house with Naruto, who quickly locked his door, said goodbye to them, and bolted off merrily down the road.

The couple stepped onto the road themselves, and Sasuke quickly set off on a path.

"Let's go." Sasuke stated, tugging Sakura along.

"What's up, Sasuke?" Sakura asked as they took a turn.

"Just come on," Sasuke urged; leading Sakura, she realized, back home.

"Will you tell me what this is about?" Sakura questioned as she tried to match pace with him.

Sasuke released her hand and slid his arm around her waist. He smirked. "Just want to give you some time to pick out an outfit."

"An outfit?" Sakura echoed. "Why?"

"For tonight." Sasuke answered. "Let's go on a date."

Sakura stared up and her fiancé for a moment, but then smiled and nodded in consent. "Okay, sounds great."

**FINISHED! AHHHH! How long did this take? Feels like it took forever! I know it's certainly been a while since I first started this. But, the good news is that my being able to finish this means that I'm back up to writing! (Which people would have already known for a week after reading thing because I'd have posted chapter seven which meant I was back up.) Anyway…so one arc down, some fluffy SasuSaku filler coming next chapter, and then it's on to the rest of the story! Till then readers!**

**And for those of you reading this as I post this late Thursday night (Friday already for just about everyone else) I have some info. Might not be an update of AtR next week…. I'm not writing…again. Haven't all week. And seeing as I'm updating today because I'll be gone all weekend at a convention, I won't have any weekend time to work on this. But I'm kinda picking through some oneshots I've got lined up to maybe post next Saturday. (The only issue is they're kinda on-the-fly writes, and probably won't be well liked when compared to how this has been going.) I dunno. Still trying. So, till then readers. **


	9. A Reminiscent Night

**Chapter Nine- A Reminiscent Night**

"Hold on, hold on, Sasuke!" Sakura declared, pushing the door shut. "I'm still dressing!"

Sasuke huffed and leaned against the wall outside the door. "You've been dressing for ten minutes."

"Because I'm choosing the right outfit." Sakura answered through the door. "The outfit I had in mind was different ten minutes ago. But don't worry! I think I have it now!"

"You know you look great whatever you wear." Sasuke stated. The silence the followed made Sasuke smirk; he could picture the blush that probably adorned Sakura's cheeks at that moment.

A couple minutes later, Sakura spoke up again. "Okay, I'm ready."

Sasuke reached down for the doorknob, but Sakura opened the door before him, and the two suddenly stood face-to-face. Sasuke almost cracked a smile when he saw what Sakura wore.

"Haven't seen those clothes in a while." Sasuke stated as he looked her up and down. She wore the same black, sleeveless turtleneck and tan capris she had worn on their first date, as well as a few others after that. She had stopped wearing it after she had bought some new clothes a few years ago.

Sakura grinned. "I don't know why, I'm just feeling a little reminiscent tonight. So I decided to wear this."

Sasuke nodded in approval and took her hand. "Then let's see if this is a reminiscent night."

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke took Sakura out to eat first. Nothing exciting or special happened. The two simply enjoyed a nice, peaceful dinner with each other. Following right afterwards, Sasuke took Sakura out on a walk through the town. The couple soon found themselves seated together in front of the village lake, gazing out at it while they leaned against each other.

After a long while of companionable silence, Sasuke was the first one to speak up.

"Do you remember," he asked, "when I asked you to move in with me?"

Sakura glanced up at Sasuke, slightly surprised by the sudden question, and then leaned her head back against his shoulder. "Yes. Very clearly. Why do you ask?"

"It just came to mind." Sasuke answered as his fingers intertwined with hers began to play with her engagement ring.

Sakura stared out at the lake, her eyes shutting halfway. "I remember it. How could I not?" She smiled. "It was just so…like you."

Sasuke smirked at her response. Behind both of their eyes, memories began to play.

_Flashback_

"Mmm…Sasuke." Sakura called as Sasuke nuzzled his face against her neck. Sakura's fingers twined through his hair as he tried to push her onto her back. The two sat on Sasuke's bed in his house.

Finally succeeding in laying her down, Sasuke pulled his face to hover over hers.

"Hm?" Sasuke responded.

Sakura's fingers continued to weave through his hair as she spoke. "This has been a great day."

Sasuke smirked, came down, and gave her a slow kiss. When he pulled away he said, "Only the best for you, especially since it's our three year anniversary."

Sakura smiled up at him, but then pulled her hand out of his hair as she glanced at a clock. "I wish this didn't have to end…but look at the time. I have to get home…."

Sasuke glared at the clock, as if blaming it for how late it had become. "Well…you don't have a curfew anymore, right? I mean…you're living on your own now."

"I know, it's a personal thing." Sakura replied, and shifted to try to sit up. However, Sasuke's form blocked her. "I do wish I could stay." She finally managed to push past Sasuke and sit up.

Sasuke watched Sakura silently as she stood up and ran a hand through her hair. As her hand came down, Sasuke suddenly reached out, grasped her wrist, and pulled her on to him. Sakura gasped as she fell forward, and then she found her mouth pressed against Sasuke's. He moved his arms around her waist as Sakura caved and kissed him back.

Sasuke leaned until he fell onto his back, pulling Sakura on top of him. When they finally parted, Sasuke said one thing.

"Stay."

Sakura stared down at her boyfriend with a confused expression. "But…I need to go. It really is getting late."

Sasuke shook his head, and repeated himself. "Stay."

Slight comprehension crossed Sakura's face, and she blushed. "You mean…stay here for the night? Oh…I don't know. I mean…um…it's just…."

"I mean," Sasuke stated, "_stay_ here. With me."

For a moment, Sakura didn't quite understand, but then the realization hit her, and her blush darkened. "Wait…you mean…?"

"Stay here. Move in with me."

Sakura looked away. "A-are you sure?"

"Would I have asked if I wasn't? Of course I'm sure." He wrapped his arms tighter around her. "Come and live with me. There will be more benefits to it other than just that your new curfew will be when you want to go to sleep."

Sakura regained eye contact with Sasuke, and held it for a moment before she sighed, smiled, and answered, "Okay."

The pleased smirk on Sasuke's face almost reached a smile. He ran a hand up her back, and pulled her head down to give her another kiss. Once they parted, Sasuke sat up, bringing Sakura with him.

"I guess for tonight you could use my clothes to sleep in if you want. We'll go get your stuff tomorrow." Sasuke declared.

Sakura nodded. "Right."

As the couple stood up, Sasuke surprised Sakura when he leaned over and kissed the side of her head. He wrapped his arms around her again and pressed his face into her hair.

"Welcome home." He murmured.

Sakura blushed at the statement, but nonetheless leaned against him and sighed contentedly.

"Glad to be home."

_End flashback_

"I'll probably remember that night forever." Sakura breathed.

"Yeah…though I wish I could forget the morning after." Sasuke responded.

"What…oh, yeah." The memory came back to her, and she huffed. "That was sort of an embarrassing situation, huh?"

"More like annoying."

_Flashback_

Sasuke and Sakura lay together in bed, still sleeping. It was the morning already, and unbeknownst to the couple, someone was already up.

Bang!

"Goooood moooorningggg, Temeeee! Wakey-wakey!" Naruto cheered loudly as he burst into the room.

Shocked awake by the arrival, Sasuke and Sakura both jolted into sitting positions, still holding on to each other ever since they had fallen asleep last night.

Naruto opened his mouth to make another loud comment, but he quickly realized that his best friend was not alone. He stared at Sakura, a look of utter surprise on his face.

"Sakura…what're you doing here?" Naruto questioned, and then his eyes began to travel down to the blanket around the couple. "…You're both still wearing pants, right?"

Sakura's face immediately flushed into a bright pink. "Yes! What is your problem?"

"And what the hell are you doing in here?" Sasuke growled as he pulled Sakura protectively closer to him.

"I came because I wanted to bug you and go out to eat some ramen! I didn't know I'd walk in on this! Now why are you guys sleeping together?" Naruto shouted in reply.

"Because we live here, Dobe!" Sasuke answered acidly.

"…We?" Naruto echoed.

Sakura nodded. "Sasuke asked me to move in with him last night, and I said yes. I live here now."

Naruto gawked at his teammates, completely dumbfounded.

"Now Dobe, if you don't want to have a black eye for the next week, I suggest you get the hell out of our house." Sasuke hissed at the blond.

Naruto gawked for a moment more, and then snapped out of it. "Fine. I'm going. But we're still gonna eat some ramen later! Come by Ichiraku at eleven for some lunch, okay?"

"Just get out of here." Sasuke glared at Naruto.

Naruto held up his hands in a harmless gesture, and walked out of the room. They could just hear him mutter. "Hope they weren't lying about having pants on…."

Sakura's face became hotter. "I can't believe him."

"Tch, I can." Sasuke responded, and then slowly started to loosen his grip on Sakura.

Sakura slid out of bed and glanced around to find her clothes from yesterday. "So I guess today we'll have to get my stuff and go eat ramen with Naruto."

Sasuke followed after his girlfriend and scoffed. "Who says we're going to meet him?"

Sakura turned to face him. "Well why not? It's not like getting my stuff will take all day."

Sasuke smirked. "I know." He went over to his dresser and threw a look at her over his shoulder. "But doors have locks on them and the Dobe can't tell a good genjutsu from reality."

Sakura didn't get it at first, but once she did she giggled and shook her head. "I suppose so."

_End flashback_

"Though you have to admit that after that the day went pretty well." Sakura beamed.

A knowing smirk reached Sasuke's face, and he pulled her closer to him. "Yeah."

"I didn't know Naruto was gonna freak out that badly, though." Sakura huffed.

"Is this compared to the day when we told him we got together in the first place?"

"Oh yeah…wasn't Kakashi-Sensei there, too? Er…wait, yeah, that's right, we were on that mission in that mansion."

"Remember? We told them the next morning after our 'night in the tent'." Sasuke corrected.

Sakura blushed at the mention of their little event as the memory of the next morning flooded her mind.

_Flashback_

Sakura was the first one to wake up that morning. When she first opened her eyes, she was greeted by the familiar white shirt Sasuke wore.

It took several minutes before the memories of last night returned to her. She involuntarily blushed as she realized that her Uchiha teammate was now her boyfriend.

"_Unless I was dreaming." _She had thought. _"I mean…it's possible we could have just rolled together in our sleep…though last night seemed so…real yet unreal. I don't know. Should I ask Sasuke? But what if it was just a dream? Then he'd look at me like I was crazy and he'd certainly know I still like him. Oh…what should I do?" _

Suddenly, she felt Sasuke shift. She wanted to quickly shut her eyes and pretend to be asleep, but she was soon looking into Sasuke's open eyes, and she knew it was too late to fake sleep.

Sasuke surprised her when he gazed at her tenderly and nearly smiled at her. "So I'm assuming last night wasn't a dream?"

"Ah…um…not unless we both had the same dream." Sakura stammered, and then began to mentally scold herself for her wavering voice.

"So then I guess it was real." Sasuke stated as he sat up, leaving Sakura lying on the ground. He looked back at her though, seemingly unable to keep his eyes off of her.

Finally feeling slightly self-conscious, Sakura sat up as well.

"Uh…so should we go get some breakfast?" Sakura suggested. Sasuke nodded his head, and Sakura began to move towards the exit.

"Hold on a second." Sasuke called.

Sakura turned her head to look at the Uchiha, and she suddenly found his face very close to hers. He leaned in completely and kissed her. Sakura almost reactively found herself responding to him.

When Sasuke broke the kiss, he smirked at her and said, "Same feelings as yesterday. I know I couldn't have dreamt that up."

Sakura blushed and looked away as Sasuke grabbed his backpack which held their food, moved past her, and opened the tent. He stepped out, and then held out a hand to help Sakura out. She took it, and he pulled her up beside him. The two made their way over to the charred circle that had been their fire last night and sat down. Sasuke scooted over so that he and Sakura were shoulder to shoulder. Sakura felt her face heat up, but she didn't say anything against it.

"Doesn't look like Naruto and Kakashi-Sensei are up yet." Sakura commented as she glanced over at Naruto and Kakashi's still closed up tent.

Sasuke shrugged. "Oh well. It'll be quieter for a bit. More private."

Sakura stared at Sasuke for a moment, and then smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right. So what's for breakfast?"

A little while later, unbeknownst to the couple, Naruto began to stir. Groggily at first, he sat up and yawned as he stretched his arms into the air. He glanced over at Kakashi, who still appeared to be asleep. He rubbed his eyes as he caught a noise.

Naruto cocked his head towards the entrance to their tent as he heard the noise again. It sounded like giggling. More precisely, it sounded like Sakura giggling.

"_What the heck is going on out there?" _Naruto wondered.

"So you hear that, too?"

Naruto had to quickly slap a hand over his mouth and grip at a clump of grass to keep from yelling and jumping. Kakashi perched beside the blond.

"When the hell did you wake up?" Naruto questioned in a harsh whisper.

"Not long ago." Kakashi responded blatantly, and then returned his attention to the continuous, low giggling outside. "So what do you think is going on out there?"

"Only one way to find out." Naruto answered, and stuck his head out the tent.

Immediately, his eyes landed on his two teammates who sat with their backs to them. They both had their heads turned at an angle towards each other.

Naruto glanced back at Kakashi, not seeming to pick up on anything out of the ordinary, and then the two stepped out of the tent and headed for their teammates.

"Morning!" Naruto greeted them.

Sakura and Sasuke both seemed surprised when they heard Naruto show up. They looked over at the two approaching men, and said nothing as the two took their seats on the other side of the charred fire circle.

"So…what've you guys been talking about?" Naruto grinned. "I sure heard a lot of giggling."

Sasuke and Sakura both glanced over at each other, and suddenly Sakura began to giggle lowly to herself. "Oh, no real reason." She answered.

Naruto's brow rose. "No real reason? So what? Did the Teme have something on his face? Or does he actually have a sense of humor?"

"Shut up, Dobe." Sasuke huffed.

Naruto stared at the two skeptically, but then started to prepare himself some breakfast. As Naruto and Kakashi both began to eat, they witnessed a surprising sight.

Sakura took a bite out of a rice ball. A loose chunk came off and stuck to the side of her face.

Sasuke spotted this, and turned his head towards Sakura. "You have some rice on your face."

"Hm?" Sakura responded, and then lifted a hand up towards her face. "Where?"

Sasuke stopped her hand. "I'll get it." Suddenly, he leaned forward planted a kiss where the rice was. When he pulled away it was gone.

Naruto gawked at the scene, the forgotten rice ball in his own hand dropped onto his pants in his shock. Kakashi appeared equally as surprised. His one visible eye was wide as it stared at the couple.

"Oh yeah, we forgot to mention," Sasuke smirked, even though the look on his face told them that the scene was entirely intentional, "we're together now."

Naruto and Kakashi gaped in silence for several more moments. Naruto finally blinked and pulled out of his trance. "Together? You mean like…together, together?"

"What else can it mean in this situation, Dobe?" Sasuke responded as he wrapped an arm around Sakura's waist. "Last night we became a couple. Sound better?"

Naruto and Kakashi both turned their heads simultaneously towards each other and stared incredulously at each other.

"What? You want me to kiss her on the mouth to prove it?"

"No, no." Kakashi answered. "It's just…surprising is all."

"More like it's about time!" Naruto suddenly burst out. "I mean, I thought you guys were never gonna get together! Do you know how hard I've been working all this time to try to get you two together? I mean, seriously!"

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other, and then back at Naruto. Sasuke smirked. "Well then, I guess I'll have to burst your bubble when I say we did this on our own. No Dobe-factor included."

"Tch, you just don't want to have to owe me for finally getting you two together!" Naruto retorted.

"Just keep telling yourself that, Dobe."

"Teme!"

"You guys." Sakura interjected.

Sasuke's grip on his girlfriend tightened. "Don't worry about it."

Naruto glanced between the two. "Wait…you guys aren't gonna go all 'honeymoon couple' on us, are you? Save my eyes from walking in on you two making out or something, please…."

Sakura glared at Naruto. "What are you talking about?"

Sasuke, however, smirked, turned to Sakura, and gave her a peck on the mouth. "Well, if it grosses your childish mind out, you can just leave. I'd be fine with it."

Naruto crossed his arms and turned away. "I'm just saying! Kakashi-Sensei's always talking about teamwork. Don't start leaving me out! I need some love, too!"

Sasuke and Sakura glanced at each other, and Sasuke rolled his eyes. "No comment on that."

"Shut up, Teme!"

_End flashback_

Sakura giggled. "Naruto sure has a way with words, huh?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Words of stupidity, maybe."

"Well hey, I remember that time you thought I had gotten lost in a forest, and it was Naruto who had to convince you not to go running off, which ended up being a good thing because I wasn't lost and you would have headed off in the wrong direction and gotten lost yourself."

"Are you defending him over me?"

Sakura smiled, rolled her eyes, and leaned further against Sasuke. "I'm just saying. Don't worry."

Sasuke smirked and turned his head towards Sakura. "Do you remember…our first kiss?"

Sakura's eyes drooped halfway shut as she met eyes with her fiancé. "Of course. And here we are a thousand later."

"You think it's only been a thousand?" Sasuke responded, looming closer to her.

"I may have rounded down."

Both of Sasuke's arms moved to wrap around Sakura's form. "Let's say we raise that number."

Sakura beamed knowingly as the two leaned in to each other. "Sounds good to me."

'"'"'"'"

"Hey, where were you guys last night?" Naruto asked the couple the next day as they met at the training grounds. "Grandma Tsunade wanted me to deliver a message to you guys, but when I went by your house you weren't there! You know how bad she chewed me out? Something about keeping track of things. So where were you?"

Sasuke and Sakura exchanged glances, and then Sasuke answered, "We were on a date."

"Where? Underground? I couldn't find you guys anywhere!"

"Well then obviously you weren't looking that hard. We went out to eat then spent some…quality time at the lake." Sasuke responded. The couple shared a knowing look.

"Quality?" Naruto echoed, and then realization crossed his features. "Ugh! On second thought, I'm glad I didn't find you guys. I've had enough of walking in on you two making out!"

"Well sorry if your timing sucks." Sasuke muttered under his breath.

"I remember the first time that happened." Sakura murmured to Sasuke.

"I remember the sixth time." Sasuke replied.

Sakura giggled. "I guess we're still reminiscing."

Sasuke smirked, but made no response as Naruto began encouraging that they start training. Sakura moved ahead towards Naruto in consent. Sasuke watched her for a moment, the smirk still on his face.

"_In a few years," _he thought, _"I wonder if we'll be reminiscing about this." _

**FINISHED! Ahhhh! Jeez. It's almost noon…on Saturday…when I'm supposed to be posting this chapter. Epic fail…. I don't know why…I just couldn't write this! I've been working on and off on it this for almost three hours! Now it's finally done! (The only sad thing is I only had 400 words to write. So it took me three hours to write 400 words…. That's just a little over a whole page on here. Again: epic. Fail.) And I hardly have chapter ten written! But! On the upside, it's fall break! So I have a full week with no interruptions besides sleeping, eating, and random things to get to write! So, hopefully, I'll make a huge leap forward. I dunno. Anyway, so till the next chapter! Hope you liked the little look we got at the past with Sasuke and Sakura's relationship! **


	10. Party Time

**Chapter Ten- Party Time**

It had been months now since Sasuke and Sakura's date together. Missions came and went. Life went on as normal. Then, one day came around that was different from all the ones before.

"It's _party time_!" Ino squealed.

"You know you really don't have to do this for me." Sakura declared.

"Are you kidding?" Ino scoffed. "Of _course_ we do! Every bride needs a bridal shower!"

"Yeah! Ino's right!" Tenten agreed.

"I-I think so, too, Sakura." Hinata piped up.

"See! Even Hinata agrees with us!" Ino beamed. "Besides, isn't Sasuke having a bachelor party?"

"More like Naruto is making him have one." Sakura corrected.

"And we're making you have a bridal shower!" Tenten chirped.

Sakura glanced over at Tenten. "Shouldn't you be at home, though? I mean…considering your baby's still pretty young." Her eyes momentarily swooped down to Tenten's now flat stomach.

"Oh, he's with my parents. It's okay." Tenten waved a hand dismissively. "Besides, I won't be gone too long. I'm not one of those mothers who just drop their kid at their grandparents and head out for the weekend."

"But wait a minute…aren't the guys throwing Sasuke a party at your place?" Sakura inquired.

"That's why he's at _my_ parents' place."

"I wonder how it's going with them anyway." Sakura mused.

"Ah, they're probably still getting ready." Ino responded. "It'll probably be like most bachelor parties. A bunch of drinking, loud guys; mass mayhem."

"They're gonna get thrown out if they do that." Tenten declared. "But you're probably right…."

"But anyway!" Ino exclaimed. "Enough about the guys! Time for some girl talk! Bride talk! Marriage talk! Looove!"

"That can't really be all that goes on at a bridal shower." Sakura proclaimed.

Ino shrugged. "Eh, who knows. That doesn't mean we can't though! Besides," Ino leaned in closer to Sakura, "this is an excellent time to finally get to actually talk girl stuff without the worry of guys walking in. It's totally uncensored!"

"That's not always a good thing…." Sakura muttered more to herself.

"Well let's try not to get it _all_ out." Tenten stated. "I mean, what better way is there to get a guy to leave you alone than by saying 'we're talking girl stuff'?"

All of the girls laughed.

"That is so true!" Ino agreed. "And I mean, it really comes in handy! We're the only girls there are out of all of us! The guys outnumber us!"

"Yep…it's sad really." Tenten shook her head and sighed.

Sakura looked around at her three friends, sighed, and leaned back in her seat.

"_Well, while we talk girl stuff…I wonder how Sasuke's faring with all the guys…." _

'"'"'"'"

"Woo! Partyyyy!" Naruto exclaimed, bouncing up and down on a couch.

"Feet off the couch, Naruto." Neji ordered.

"Yes Mom." Naruto drawled sarcastically as he jumped off the couch. "If you didn't want a mess, you shouldn't have offered up your house for Sasuke's bachelor party."

"Who said I offered?" Neji glowered. "You just burst in and said it'd be here. Why couldn't you just throw it at your house?"

"Because I still live in an apartment! That's why!" Naruto responded.

"Then why not Uchiha's place? It's his party."

"Because that's where the girls are having Sakura's bridal shower." Naruto answered. "So, we decided you were the best choice seeing as the Hyuga mansion is such a big place!"

"I don't _own_ it though. I'm a Hyuga, so I can live on the grounds. Something like this would probably get me thrown out if I didn't have Tenten and our son."

"So you have an alibi when we totally wreck the place!" Neji glared sharply at the blond. "Kidding! Kidding! It's not going to be that bad! Just a bunch of guys together, having some drinks, celebrating that the Teme's finally getting married!"

"Dobe, I'm right here." Sasuke growled.

"I know."

"You're an idiot."

"Like I haven't heard that before. Now where is Kiba with our drinks? He's late!"

"You're seriously planning on stuffing this place full of drunken men?" Neji frowned.

"Well what else do they do at bachelor parties? Didn't we do that at yours?"

"What bachelor party?"

"Oh…that's right. You didn't have one. You were too busy knocking Tenten up."

Neji's face flushed and he glared intensely at Naruto. "Shut up! I will throw you out!"

"Should have done that before I invited everyone to come over."

Neji radiated a deathly aura towards the blond, who laughed over the situation.

A knock reverberated from the door. Naruto grinned. "Party time!" He leapt over to the door, threw it open, and was greeted by the faces of Kiba and a few of the others boys they knew. All of them carried bottles in their hands.

"Yeahhh!" Naruto cheered, throwing a merry look over his shoulder at Sasuke and Neji, who both scowled at him. He looked back to the men before him. "You guys ready?"

"Totally!" Kiba responded, holding up his bottle of alcohol. "I'm ready to party girl-free!"

Naruto cheered along with the dog boy, and ushered everyone inside to get ready.

"Okay, just a few more people are missing, and then we'll start up the party!" Naruto declared.

Sasuke glanced over at Neji. "Looks like we're both victims here."

"Me more than you. At least the girls won't wreck your house."

Sasuke looked around at all the guys in the room who cleared tables for their bottles or popped some open in preparation. Some of them chatted loudly with each other as they set up, anticipating the festivities to come.

Sasuke sighed. "I think I'd prefer to be with the girls…whatever they're doing."

'"'"'"'"

"So what were you saying the wedding ring was going to look like, Sakura?" Ino asked.

"Oh…uh…well, basically like my engagement ring, just a little altered and made of gold." Sakura answered.

"Awww, it sounds so pretty!"

Sakura blushed as Tenten chuckled. "Yeah, who knew Sasuke knew anything about picking out jewelry?"

"Hey! He's picked out flowers for Sakura before! Why not jewelry?" Ino declared. "It just shows how much he cares. So much he'd go into places like flower shops and jewelry stores without a care in the world if it means getting his lady something he knows she'll love!"

"And since when did you know that much about Sasuke?" Tenten inquired.

"I'm stating the obvious!"

"It sounds more like your stalking him."

Ino gawked at her older friend. "Why would I do that?"

Tenten laughed. "I'm just kidding! Though you never know…maybe you love the dangerous adrenaline you get from looking at other girls men." Ino continued to gape at her. Tenten waved a hand dismissively. "Come on, come on, you know I'm only joking. You're not the type of girl for that, I know."

Ino huffed, but then a thoughtful look crossed her face. "That reminds me…." She turned her attention to Sakura and Tenten. "So…who do you think is next…me or Hinata?"

"For wha—?" Sakura understood what Ino implied. "Uhhh…I don't know." Even though inside she pointed at Hinata, who flushed a bright pink in surprised embarrassment, and thought of how Naruto planned to propose to her at some point.

"Oh, speaking of marriage…." Tenten piped up.

"What else is there to do at a bridal shower?" Ino responded.

Tenten nodded at Ino, and then turned a curious grin on Sakura. Something in the kunoichi told her something was coming.

"So…Sakura," Tenten drawled, "what do you and Sasuke plan to do once you're officially married?"

"Uhhhh…" Sakura stammered. "I dunno…continue on as we are right now, just with the same last name?"

"No, I mean, what are your _plans_?" Tenten put a hand over her stomach.

Sakura's face brightened as she got what Tenten implied. She looked down. "Uh…I still don't know. We haven't really talked about it."

"Didn't you say Sasuke had that goal to restore the Uchiha clan and stuff?" Ino inquired. Sakura nodded her head. "Of course that means kids!"

"And a bigger house." Tenten added. "You guys can't stay in this little place forever."

Ino nodded her head enthusiastically. "Yeah! So I guess the real question is: how many kids are you willing to have?"

Sakura's face became brighter by the second. "I told you…I don't know. Uhhh…" Sakura fidgeted in her seat. "As many as Sasuke would want, I guess."

Ino and Tenten giggled at Sakura's response.

"Oh, what about you, Tenten?" Ino asked. "I mean…you've got one down, you and Neji planning on expanding anymore?"

Tenten's cheeks flushed. "Hey, give me a break. Just one's already turned into a lot. Maybe a little farther into the future though."

Ino nodded in understanding, and then turned a grin on Hinata. "So…you think Naruto likes lots of kids?"

Hinata was speechless. This just caused the three other girls to giggle in amusement.

Sakura sighed as she finished laughing, and sat back as Ino and Tenten led a conversation. Her thoughts strayed to Sasuke, obviously still at his bachelor party. She wondered briefly what the boys would be doing or talking about.

'"'"'"'"

"Number eight!" Naruto declared enthusiastically as he slammed a shot glass onto the table. "Beat that, Teme!"

"I'd rather not, Dobe." Sasuke responded. "I'm not all that in to drinking excessive amounts of alcohol. He glanced down briefly at his own shot glass, which had only been filled three times due to Naruto nagging him.

"Whaaat?" Naruto slurred. "Do I hear a _chicken_ clucking? It's not even sunrise!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "For one, your provoking won't work. For two, roosters crow at sunrise, not chickens."

"You lost me at that big word you used." Naruto stated, and leaned back into the couch.

"You really are an idiot…."

"You keep saying that…are you trying to pick a fight or something?" Naruto inquired. He suddenly jumped back up from the couch and wobbled slightly as he put up his fists. "Come on! I bet I could kick your ass right now!"

"I am not going to fight you while you're drunk, Dobe."

"Ah, come on!" Kiba cheered from the side, holding up a shot glass. "Bar fight! Bar fight!"

Sasuke ran a hand over his face and sighed. "I'm surrounded by morons."

"Took you that long to figure it out?" Neji huffed to his side.

Sasuke looked from Naruto directing an imitation of a chicken at him to the boys who either watched the blond while laughing, or paid no attention to him while they downed some of their own drinks.

"No." Sasuke answered. "It just took me this long to realize I should have killed Naruto when I had the chance."

"Oh! Hey! Hey!" Kiba announced. "Remember a few years back when Naruto was calling Sasuke a he-she? Or…what was it? A skirt wearer by choice?"

A bunch of the guys started to laugh at the statement. Naruto piped up. "No! No! The girls were skirt wearers by choice! Teme's a he-she! He looks like a guy, but he's actually quite feminine!"

Sasuke glared at Naruto. "I think you have your stories mixed up."

"Oh!" Kiba went on. "And remember how the girls chucked him into the lake? Man, he was squealing! Hahaha!" The room erupted in laughter as the memory of Kiba's tale returned to the other boys.

Sasuke glanced at Neji. "Do you think alcohol is explosive when exposed to electricity?"

"Well, it's flammable, but if you burn down the mansion I'll kick your ass."

Sasuke glanced back at the laughing boys around them.

Sasuke sighed and leaned back into the couch. "In any other situation…I just might have taken that risk." He stared up at the ceiling. "Is it almost time to go home yet?"

'"'"'"'"

"So, Sakura," Ino began, leaning in towards her friend, "I've never asked this question out of common courtesy, but I _must _know."

Sakura's brow rose curiously in an indication for her to continue. Everyone else also leaned in, wondering what the blond would ask.

Ino grinned slyly. "Is Sasuke as good at kissing as he is at everything else?"

Sakura's cheeks immediately flushed, and all eyes turned towards her. She looked down at her lap. "Uhhh…I don't know. I've never had anyone to compare it to. I like it though…."

"Well of course you'd like it. You guys are in looove." She smirked. "There are ways to find out though…."

Sakura immediately glared at her. "I am _not_ letting someone kiss Sasuke to find out. He'd totally oppose it anyway."

"I wasn't implying that someone would kiss _Sasuke_ to find out."

Sakura didn't get it at first, but then her glare intensified. "And I am _not_ kissing someone else!"

Ino held up her hands. "Okay, okay. I won't force you. But the question will remain forever. Just _how good_ is Sasuke at kissing?"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's always the simple things with you, huh?"

Ino gasped and looked offended. "How could you say that? This is important!"

"Important as in mission important, or important as in 'oh my god, I'm all out of make-up' important?"

"Hey! Those are both extremely important! Missions are what ninja's do to get paid, and make-up is what a girl needs to keep looking great!"

"I don't wear make-up." Sakura replied. "It's mostly just you. Besides, what use is make-up on the battlefield? Are you gonna stuff eyeliner down someone's throat?"

"Don't knock it till you've tried it." Ino retorted. "I bet that would kill an enemy!"

All of them laughed at Ino's statement. When that died down, Sakura glanced over to the side at a clock.

"Oh, look at the time." Sakura declared. "It's already almost eleven!"

"What? Your clock must be broken!" Ino proclaimed. "It feels like it's only been a couple hours! What time did we get here at? Six…seven? Where did the time go?"

"Oh man…my parents aren't going to be too happy with me." Tenten sighed. "I told them I'd only be gone till ten!" She stood up. "I should probably head home then."

"Yeah, the guys are probably finishing up their party, too." Ino agreed, standing up as well. Sakura and Hinata both followed her motion.

"Well, I don't know if we just had a bridal shower, or if we just had an all-girls get-together." Sakura commented.

"Eh, what's the difference?" Ino shrugged. "I bet it was the same with the guys."

"I guess we'll have to see about that." Tenten replied. "If I get home and they're all still partying, I'll kick them out." She waved at the three girls. "I had better run. See you guys at the wedding!"

"Yeah, I guess we all better get out of here." Ino agreed. She and Hinata made their way towards the door.

The three girls all turned to say goodbye to Sakura.

"Tomorrow's your big day!" Ino cheered.

Sakura smiled. "I know. I'll hardly be able to sleep. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Sakura." The three called, and then they shut the door.

Sakura stood in place for a moment, and then let out a huge sigh.

"_Tomorrow, huh?" _She thought, and then smiled. _"I can't wait. I hope Sasuke's on his way home…." _

'"'"'"'"

"Okay Sasuke, the question's been going around, and now we have to get an answer!" Naruto announced. Some of the guys around him nodded their heads in agreement and looked over at the Uchiha.

"What?" Sasuke asked.

A grin slowly formed on the blonds' face. "Considering how long you and Sakura have been in a relationship, we thought it likely that this is true, but we'll ask you anyway to confirm it." Sasuke's brow rose. "Have you gotten under her shirt yet?"

"I thought we were gonna ask if he'd gotten in her pants yet." Kiba murmured as Sasuke's cheeks visibly grew darker.

Sasuke knocked the two boys upside the head. "You guys are idiots!" Though the pink in his cheeks didn't diminish. "We haven't…!"

Naruto laughed. "It's shirt! At _least_!"

Sasuke growled and hit him again.

"_Only once." _Sasuke thought. _"And it probably won't happen again unless we…." _Sasuke tried to suppress the color burning on his cheeks.

Several people in the room laughed at Sasuke's embarrassment.

"Oh! That's got me thinking!" Naruto proclaimed. Several sarcastic remarks ran through Sasuke's mind at that, but he kept quiet. "Teme, question: have you ever like…_looked_ at another girl? You know…like how you look at Sakura?"

Sasuke's eyes widened in response. "What? Why the hell would I do that?"

"Come on, Teme! You can't tell me you've never looked at another girl and at least thought she was cute!"

"Again, why would I do that? It's not like a care. I'm getting married."

"Wow!" Kiba's exclaimed. "He's one hell of a faithful guy! Haha! I can't count how many fights me and Ino have gotten in because I was checking out another girl! I mean, _excuse me_ if Hinata's got a big chest! Hahaha!"

Naruto was up in a second. "_What did you just say about Hinata_?" He roared.

Several eyes widened in shock at the sudden turn of events.

"Hey, I'm sure you know better than anyone, _right_?" Kiba responded.

"…"

"…"

Naruto chuckled. "Well, she does have one hell of a body. It's even better with the jacket off!"

Some of the boys let out little cheers at Naruto. Sasuke turned his head towards a wall with a clock on it.

"_Finally." _He thought, and then stood up.

All of the boys noticed Sasuke stand, and all eyes turned on him.

Sasuke pointed towards the clock. "It's getting late. We should all head home."

"Yeah, get out of my house." Neji agreed.

"Ahh, you guys are such party poopers!" Naruto huffed. "At least let us stay a little longer!"

"You guys should know," Neji declared, "the girls probably already noticed it's getting late, so they should all be heading home. If Tenten comes home with our son and sees you guys still partying, you're going to get thrown out by force."

Surprised looks crossed some of the boys' faces, and half of them jumped up from their seats to leave.

Naruto let out a long sigh. "Fine…party's over." He grinned. "But there's more to come at the wedding tomorrow!" He and everyone else started to head for the door. "See you all there!"

"Wait a minute!" Neji called. "You guys better clean up this mess!" He gestured to the empty bottles and shot glasses littering the room they had been using.

"Bye Neji!" Naruto exclaimed loudly, pretending to have not heard him. "We'll see you tomorrow!"

"You people are never throwing a party here again!" Neji's declaration rang through the door as it was shut behind all of the boys.

Sasuke immediately set off towards home, ignoring the calls from some of the boys he received. He took in the night air gratefully and turned down a corner, out of sight of the boys.

"_Finally I can go home." _He thought. His thoughts then strayed to Sakura, who obviously waited at home for him, and of their wedding tomorrow. A small smile reached his face. _"Tomorrow's the day…finally." _

'"'"'"'"

"So how was your party?" Sasuke asked Sakura as the two crawled into bed later that night.

"Uhhh…interesting." Sakura responded. "What about yours?"

"It was a room full of drunken guys. What do you think?"

Sakura laughed lightly. "You're not drunk, are you?"

"No. I think all the alcohol the Dobe forced me to drink has passed."

Sakura snuggled closer to Sasuke and sighed. "Good, wouldn't want you to be hung-over tomorrow."

Sasuke smirked and trailed a hand up her arm until he caressed her cheek. "So are you ready to get married?"

Sakura smiled. "Of course. It's you I'm worried about."

Sasuke chuckled, and then he leaned forward to give Sakura a long kiss. When he pulled away he said, "Don't worry, I won't get cold feet and run out on you or anything."

"Don't jinx it."

Sasuke chuckled again and put his head over hers. Sakura did a final adjustment to fit snuggly with Sasuke and shut her eyes.

"Goodnight." She declared. "I love you."

A smile Sakura couldn't see formed on Sasuke face as he also shut his eyes. "I love you, too. Goodnight."

With that, the couple drifted off into contented sleep, anxious and ready for their big day tomorrow.

**IIIIIIITTTTT ISSSSS FINNNNNNNIIIIIIISHHHHHEDDDDDD! GAHHHHHHH! How long did this take? (Oh, I know how long…it's Saturday afternoon a week after I thought I'd post this. Gahh, need to proof this thing fast and get it up to you people before Saturday's over with! Even though for some of you people Saturday is long over….) Anyway! So, this chapter ten is very different from my original chapter ten. Hell, this was supposed to be chapter eleven! But…my inability to write transition filler got me bad…so I had to junk chapter ten and move this forward. And now…next chapter is the wedding! (Which, that chapter is almost done!) So, till then readers! I'm going to stop writing so I can go proof this already….) **


	11. Wedding Day

**Chapter Eleven- Wedding Day**

"Today's the daaaaay!" Ino squealed happily.

Sakura blushed as she smiled. "I know."

"Are you nervous?" Tenten asked.

"Um…a little, I guess." Sakura answered.

Ino gawked at her friend. "Nervous? What's there to be nervous about? You're about to get married to one of the hottest guys alive!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Typical Ino. Ow! What was that for?" She glared at the blond that brushed through her hair.

"A knot." Ino responded, though it was obviously a lie.

"Don't wanna hurt her," Tenten giggled, "it might make the groom unhappy."

"Trust me, he's gonna be too busy with his eyes glued on Sakura here to care about what everyone else is doing." Ino replied.

"True. And remember, Sakura, making out on the altar is not considered the right way to 'kiss the bride.'" Tenten grinned.

Sakura turned bright red. "Who said that—? Never mind…."

"Don't worry, she's speaking from first-hand experience." Ino chortled.

Tenten glared at Ino. "No!"

"I had to politely clear my throat in order for you guys to break it up on your wedding day!" Ino retorted.

Tenten's face heated up as Sakura said, "I thought you told them to get a honeymoon room."

Sakura, Ino, and Hinata who was also in the room, all laughed as Tenten's face became darker. The four were in a room in the church Sasuke and Sakura were to be married in getting prepared.

"Okay! Finished!" Ino exclaimed, throwing the brush behind her in emphasis, which crashed into the door noisily. "Check yourself out!"

Sakura looked up into the mirror in front of her.

"Yep, I'm wearing a dress."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Thank you Captain Obvious."

"I think the mirror's too small." Tenten commented. "There's a full-length one down the hall. We should head there so Sakura can get the full scope of her and her bride-ness."

Sakura smiled lightly at Tenten's statement as Ino agreed and started to usher them all out of the room.

Sakura followed after Tenten and Ino with Hinata right behind her. The hallway seemed very quiet compared to the buzz there had been in the dressing room.

Abruptly, Ino and Tenten froze, causing Sakura and Hinata to bump into them.

"Wha—?" Sakura began to question.

"Crap! It's Sasuke!" Tenten gasped. At the mention of her groom, Sakura tried to peer over her two friend's shoulders, but Ino quickly shoved her down and pushed her back down the hallway.

"Quick! Groom avoiding maneuver!" Ino exclaimed as she and Tenten blocked Sakura from Sasuke's sight.

"What the—? What're—? Hey!" Sakura stammered as she found herself shoved back into the dressing room. Ino slammed the door shut and barred it with her body. "What the hell was that about?"

Ino gawked at her pink-haired friend. "Don't you know the superstition?"

"The groom can't see the bride before the wedding!" Tenten finished. "It's bad luck!"

Sakura gazed skeptically at the two. "You guys can't really believe that."

"Dude, remember at my wedding?" Tenten stated. "When I tripped on the stairs when I was going up to the altar and nearly sprained my ankle? Yeah, Neji happened to get a glimpse of me earlier! Imagine what would have happened if he had fully seen me! I probably would have broken my leg!"

"The superstition is real!" Ino declared.

"I call that irony." Sakura huffed.

"Fine then, go out there and face Sasuke!" Ino ordered, stepping out of the way of the door.

Sakura hesitated, and Ino and Tenten grinned.

"See!" Ino exclaimed. "Even you believe it in! Now, we have to get that mirror…. Tenten, you and Hinata go get it for Sakura."

"Alright." Tenten responded, and motioned for Hinata to follow her. The two girls left the room, leaving Sakura and Ino.

Ino beamed. "So, you excited?"

Sakura blushed. "Excited is not really the word for it. I feel like I'm going to puke I'm so nervous."

"Hey! It's like I said! There's nothing to be nervous about! You're about to get married to one of the hottest guys alive! It's good enough that one of the hottest guys alive is in love with you! Now you're marrying him! Thousands of girls would _kill_ to be in your cute little heels right now!"

Sakura shook her head as she glanced down at the heels she wore. "I know. You're right."

"Of course I'm right! When have I been wrong about love? I knew you guys were in to each other before you even got together! That's how good I am!"

Sakura giggled lightly at the blond as the door opened and Tenten and Hinata worked their way in with the mirror between them. Once they got it settled, Ino pushed Sakura in front of it.

Sakura couldn't help but stare at herself. She wore a white, long-sleeved dress. The arms and chest were patterned in a slightly darker white with the designs of roses. The skirt of the dress was smooth in the front, and cascaded behind her in ripples. She wore a sparkling white veil on her head as well. As she requested, her hair was down, and Ino didn't apply too much make-up. She smiled at her reflection. She was very pleased.

"If you don't mind me saying, you look hot." Ino grinned.

Sakura turned towards her friend and looked her up and down. In honor of the Haruno colors, Ino, Hinata, and Tenten were all dressed in red and white. Though seeing Ino in anything but purple was strange, she still looked pretty good.

"Thanks." Sakura replied.

Tenten glanced over at a clock. "Oh! The wedding's starting soon! We better go get ready!"

Ino and Hinata both looked over at the clock. Ino gasped. "You're right!" She turned towards Sakura. "Guess the next time I see you, you'll be walking down the aisle towards your man. Good luck!"

Sakura nodded. "Right…thanks. I'll see you."

After a couple "good luck" statements from Tenten and Hinata, the three girls exited the room. Sakura sighed once they were gone, and looked at herself in the mirror again.

"_Here we go." _She thought as she gripped her left ring finger. _"Time to get married." _

She stood there in silence for several moments, and then a knock reverberated through the room. Sakura's attention snapped to the door as it opened. She was greeted by a familiar tinge of red-ish hair.

"Dad." Sakura declared as her father, fully clad in a tuxedo, entered the room.

"Well, don't you look nice." Her father greeted.

"You, too." She replied.

Her father let out a sigh. "So, are you ready?"

"Uh…as I'll ever be I guess."

"I would expect so." He responded. He let out another sigh. "Well, it's never easy to give up a member of the family, but…we know you love him, so it's okay."

Sakura gave a light smile at the mention of Sasuke. "Yeah…thanks."

Her father held out his arm. "Well, I have to walk you down the aisle in a bit, and listen"—as her father said that, music began to play—"Looks like the wedding's starting."

Sakura felt her heart rate slightly increase with anticipation. She nodded her head, stepped forward, and took her father's arm. He then led her out of the room and towards the main room. The two soon reached the doorway where she just spotted Tenten and Neji heading out into the main hall. She was next, she thought.

The two stopped just short of the opening, and Sakura's grip on her father's arm slightly tightened.

He put a hand over hers. "No need to be nervous."

Sakura released her tightened grip, only half aware that she had done it in the first place. Ino's words rang through her head about not being nervous and what this day meant, and she felt her nerves relax slightly.

Suddenly, the notes of the last song faded, and were replaced by the familiar tune of "Here Comes the Bride." Her heart hammered in her chest with anticipation as the flower girl skipped out into the main hall. Her father took a step forward, snapping her brain back to reality and sending a signal to her legs to start moving. The two stepped through the doorway, and were bathed in light as the light from windows poured into the hall.

Sakura blinked a couple times to adjust her eyes. Once they did adjust, her heart almost stopped, and then slowly picked up to an easy rhythm as her eyes finally fell on Sasuke waiting for her at the altar. Like all the other men, he was garbed in a tuxedo, but to her he looked far different than the rest. He stood out boldly to her, and at the same time his presence calmed down her restless spirit, eliminating the rest of her nervous anxieties as their eyes met.

Now, she felt, it was just the two of them. Just them, together, ready to be married. She was ready and confident, and so was he. Only the grip from her father kept her from running down the aisle and embracing her soon-to-be husband.

After what felt like a long time of walking, the two reached the altar. Sakura's father happily passed his daughter on to Sasuke, who gazed fixedly at her as they finally stood face-to-face. The look in his eyes was soft, with absolutely no trace of the usual, hardened look he gave most other people. It was the look that made Sakura feel special because she knew it was only her who it would be directed towards. It was the look that told her without words that Sasuke loved her, and she knew the look in her own eyes reflected the same thing back at him.

Tsunade, acting as their priest, cleared her throat and opened a book before her. She looked between Sasuke and her former pupil, smiled, and then began the recital.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here today…"

'"'"'"'"

"Do you, Sasuke Uchiha, take Sakura Haruno to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and care for as long as you both shall live?" Tsunade asked.

Sasuke's eyes remained locked with Sakura's as he let out an "I do."

Tsunade shifted her attention to Sakura. "And do you, Sakura Haruno, take Sasuke Uchiha to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and care for as long as you both shall live?"

Sakura also kept eye contact with Sasuke as she said "I do."

Tsunade smiled. "Then by the power vested in me as Hokage of this village, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

Without any hesitation, Sasuke's hands which had been grasping Sakura's released. He slipped his hands around her waist as Sakura weaved her arms around his neck. He leaned in and gave her a deep kiss as applause erupted through the cathedral.

When the two parted, they turned towards the audience. Sasuke held out his hand for Sakura, which she took, and then the two descended down the steps as Tsunade declared "Now presenting Mr. and Mrs. Sasuke Uchiha."

A huge grin formed on Sakura's face as she looked around from Sasuke to the cheering crowd around them. Her heart swelled with happiness, and in a flash, they were celebrating at the after party.

Sakura danced to a slow song with her husband. Her head rested on his chest and a contented smile seemed to be forever plastered to her face. Sasuke also wore a rare smile on his face. Holding on to his wife, everything felt perfect.

"Do you remember," Sasuke announced, "when we first danced together?"

Sakura took a moment, but then she nodded her head. "Yes. That night up north. We were on that mission. It was the same place and time where we had our first kiss."

"And second, if you remember the moment by the rose garden." Sasuke commented.

"And the moment by the rose garden. Yes." Sakura sighed. "And now we're married."

"Yeah." Sasuke's hand rubbed over Sakura's waist.

Sakura's eyes shut halfway. "I'm really happy…. This almost feels like a dream."

Sasuke rested his head on top of hers. "I am too…. And thankfully, I'm pretty sure this isn't a dream."

The two danced together for a few more minutes of companionable silence. Then suddenly, the sound of scuffling feet rang through the room, and they heard a familiar voice booming out around the church.

"Oooookayyyy!" Naruto cheered. Everything halted and everyone turned their heads towards the blond. "Alright! So! Everyone's all in a good mood now! Sasuke and Sakura are _finally _married!"

"Where are you going with this?" Sakura asked, but Naruto didn't seem to have heard her.

"So, I'm going to go off of this good vibe and do something!"

Sakura's brow rose and Sasuke smirked. "I think I know what's coming." He muttered into Sakura's ear, which just made her look even more perplexed.

Naruto cleared his throat. "Okay, let me get straight to the punch line!" He turned on his heel and faced Hinata, who looked as confused as Sakura. "Hinata," he got down on a knee and pulled out his ring, "will you marry me?"

A hushed gasp of surprise echoed around the room. Sasuke's smirk deepened, knowing he had been right.

Hinata stared at the blond kneeled before her. Her face was flushed to a bright red. "Yes." She choked out, and then the whole room exploded with cheers. Naruto leapt up with a huge grin on his face and embraced her. Hinata still appeared too surprised to react.

"Woo-hoo!" He exclaimed happily. "Awesome!" He kissed her cheek. "I love you, Hinata!"

"I-I love you, too, N-Naruto." Hinata stammered as she finally regained the ability to react and hug him back. A happy smile formed on her face. Naruto laughed joyfully in between kisses he gave his fiancée.

"So this was the special day you had planned?" Sasuke inquired as he and Sakura walked up to the couple.

Naruto nodded enthusiastically. "I figured this would be a great time while everyone's in a happy mood. Why not add some more happiness?"

Sasuke smirked. "Just couldn't take a day where the spotlight was only on me, huh?"

Naruto glared at his best friend. "Hey! Do you really think that lowly of me?"

"Sometimes." Sasuke replied.

"You guys, come on." Sakura interjected. "This is supposed to be a happy day! Don't start picking at each other!"

Sasuke put his arm around her shoulders. "Sorry." He glanced at Naruto, who grinned back at him. "I guess all that's left now is to say 'finally.'"

Naruto chuckled. "Is that a reference to when you and Sakura 'finally' got together, 'finally' got engaged, and 'finally' got married?"

Sasuke looked as though he wanted to retort, but he glanced down at Sakura and thought better of it. Sakura noticed this, and began to pull Sasuke away. She waved at the newly engaged couple. "Well, we'll see you both in a bit. Congratulations."

Naruto and Hinata both smiled, and Naruto put his arm around Hinata's waist. "Thanks! Congrats to you guys, too!"

Sakura smiled at them, and then led Sasuke away. The two reentered the dance floor. Sakura put one hand on Sasuke's shoulder, and he put one of his on her waist. Their other hands laced together as they fell into step with the other dancers.

"Well, this day has certainly been interesting." Sakura commented.

"Yeah."

"You know…right before I came out, I was feeling so nervous. I was shaking and everything. But…I felt so much better once I saw you standing there."

Sasuke smirked. "And it was you yesterday who was worried _I'd_ get cold feet."

Sakura giggled. "I know."

The two gazed at each other as they continued to dance to the music.

"Well," Sasuke declared, not breaking their eye contact, "looks like from here on out, you're stuck to me by law."

Sakura smiled and giggled again. "I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm perfectly fine with it. Even if you're impossible to live with." Her smile widened into a playful grin at her joke.

Sasuke chuckled. "Look who's talking."

"Hey!" Sakura retorted, but not harshly. "What did I ever do?"

"Well what did I ever do?"

Sakura fell silent, unable to come up with a witty response. A moment later, the two of them found themselves laughing together.

Sakura's eyes softened. "I love it." She murmured. "How it seems so easy for us now to stand here and joke together. How easy it is just to be with you. It's so…natural now."

"I know." He responded, leaning in closer to her. "We've made a lot of progress over the years."

"And now here we are." Sakura replied.

"And now here we are." Sasuke agreed, and then leaned in completely for a kiss.

Little did the couple notice, that their friends watched, beaming, from a distance away. They watched the newlywed couple happily, knowing nothing would ever be able to break the love the two felt for each other.

'"'"'"'"

A while later, Sasuke and Sakura returned home. Sakura giggled as the door opened and Sasuke stepped in, carrying her in his arms.

"Welcome home, Sakura Uchiha." He declared.

Sakura beamed and kissed his cheek as he swung her feet down so she stood in front of him. "Glad to be home, husband."

A smile reached Sasuke's face, and he leaned in to kiss her. Sakura responded happily, holding it for as long as they could. When they parted, Sasuke surprised Sakura when he reached down and picked her up by her legs. He cradled her like a child, as the dress prevented her from wrapping her legs around him, and he shifted over to the couch. He fell on to it, bringing Sakura with him.

Sakura giggled as Sasuke adjusted them into a more comfortable position. The two laid there together for a moment, reveling in their happiness.

"You look beautiful." Sasuke murmured, and then kissed her cheek.

Sakura grinned. "And you look absolutely handsome."

Sasuke smirked, weaved a hand through her hair, and brought her down for another kiss. One of Sakura's hands worked its way up and under the collar of Sasuke's shirt to rub against his neck.

When they pulled away, Sasuke sighed against Sakura's neck.

"Unfortunately," he stated, "we can't stay here for too long."

Sakura's brow rose. "Why do you say that?"

"We have work to do."

"On our wedding day?" Sakura couldn't hold down the disappointment in her voice.

"Well, it's not bad work. And besides…once we finish we'll have _plenty_ of time to spend together."

What Sasuke meant seemed to suddenly dawn on her. Sakura beamed at him as Sasuke sat up, bringing her with him. "You mean…?"

Sasuke leaned his forehead against hers and gazed at her. "Yeah, we're going on a honeymoon."

**Done! And, oh my god, I'm done and it's only two days after I posted chapter ten! (Now, compare this to the crap that's been my updating rate lately…yeah, this is miraculous.) And now…Sasuke and Sakura are married! And now it's time for a couple super fluffy chapters! (Brush your teeth well, readers, this stuff is gonna be sweeter than candy. Haha. You're ALL getting cavities! Fwahaha! Eheh…I'm in a good mood. And good moods mean playful sarcasm from Okami.) Anyway…enough of my bantering on. Gotta head off to the next chapter! (I'm gonna get cavities before all you guys, because I get to write it! Ahhh…my dentist and orthodontist will not be happy with me. Hahaha.) Okami-chan out till the next chapter!  
And now a later note after I reposted this without saying anything, I fixed a couple little mistakes and rewrote the entry to Sasuke and Sakura's place, because someone pointed out that it's traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold. So, I did that. (Be happy.) **


	12. First Day in Paradise

**Chapter Twelve- First Day in Paradise**

"So…can I open my eyes yet?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke sighed against her ear. "No, not yet."

"When can I?"

"Just a minute."

"You said that two minutes ago." Sakura pouted. "Why are you making the location of our honeymoon such a secret?"

Sasuke chuckled. "Well this time I'm serious. And I'm only doing it to see your full reaction."

"You better be serious." Sakura huffed as she felt a warm breeze blow past them. She sniffed. "Do I smell the ocean?"

"See for yourself." Sasuke pulled Sakura to a halt. "Open your eyes."

Sakura opened her eyes, squinted, and then blinked a few times to adjust her eyes to the light. Once her gaze focused, she gasped. "Oh my god."

Sasuke came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "Do you like it?"

Sakura gazed down from their vantage point on a hill to a beach resort. The ocean stretched endlessly to the left, and a large building sat just off the beach. Down at the beach, she could make out the forms of other people playing or lounging in the ocean or on the shore.

"I…I love it." Sakura responded.

Sasuke smirked and kissed her hair. "Great."

Sakura reached a hand up and ran her fingers along his jaw line and into his hair. "I never would have imagined you'd take me some place like this. You never quite struck me as the beach resort type of guy."

"I know." He replied, and ran one of his hands over her midsection. "But I knew you'd like it, so I chose here."

Sakura smiled at his response, turned around in his grip, and twined her arms around his neck. "That's sweet of you."

Sasuke tightened his grip on her and leaned in. Sakura followed his motion, and the two met in a kiss. When they parted, Sasuke let go of her and then took her hands.

"Come on," he declared, leading her away from their spot. "Let's get our stuff and check in."

"Aw, but I was enjoying myself."

Sasuke smiled at her. "Don't worry…we have five days to create plenty of moments of enjoyment."

Sakura smiled back at her husband, and then let him lead her away.

'"'"'"'"

The resort, Sakura thought, was one of the nicest places she had ever seen. Her and Sasuke's room was quaint. Not overly large, but not small like a normal hotel room. Sliding glass doors led out to a balcony which gave them a view of the ocean and beach.

Sakura stood on the balcony and breathed in the smell of the ocean. She shut her eyes and felt the light, ocean breeze on her face. She heard footsteps behind her, and turned her head to see Sasuke join her.

"Enjoying the view?" Sasuke asked, leaning against the railing of the balcony and looking sideways at her.

Sakura beamed. "It's not all that often that I get to see the ocean." She took another deep breath. "Konoha is so far from the sea."

"I know. That's why I thought this place would be perfect. Usually when we get to see the ocean we're on missions, and so there's no time to visit."

Sakura nodded. "I guess maybe I should have expected this…I mean, what other reason is there to come down south?"

Sasuke made no response, and turned to also face the ocean. "Well…like I said, we have five days to enjoy all of this." He directed a light smirk at Sakura. "Anything you really want to do?"

"Besides go play in the ocean?" Sakura responded, but then she gasped. "Aw! I didn't pack my swimsuit! I didn't know we'd be coming down to the ocean!"

"Don't worry," Sasuke declared, "I grabbed it for you. Considering I knew we were coming here."

"Oh, thanks."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, and then grasped Sakura's hand. "So, do you want to head down to the beach now then? Or did you want to wait?"

Sakura smiled and followed Sasuke into their room. "Sounds great! Let's get going!"

'"'"'"'"

When the couple reached the beach, Sakura immediately set out for the shoreline. She stopped short and let the waves roll over her feet, and then she watched as it receded back to the ocean.

She turned around to look at Sasuke, who was setting up a spot for them. A blush crept up on her cheeks seeing Sasuke in nothing but swim trunks. She glanced down at her bikini, and wondered briefly if similar thoughts ran through her husband's mind.

Sasuke looked up from his work of setting up their spot, and his eyes landed on Sakura who was turned towards him. He looked her up and down from their distance, and a smile played on his lips as suggestive thoughts crossed his mind.

"_Geez," _he thought, _"if the Dobe were here I just know he'd be voicing those thoughts…." _A very light blush reached his cheeks. _"Guess that's just one of the great reasons I won't have to see him for the next five days." _

Once Sasuke finished setting up, he sat himself down on one of the towels and simply watched Sakura wade through the shallows and jump playfully over the waves. His eyes softened as he watched her play.

"_She's so cute." _He thought, feeling no shame in his thoughts.

His eyes trailed from her pink hair, which was pulled up as she normally had it when she went swimming, down to her torso, which was only covered by her bikini, and then trailed down her fully exposed legs to her feet which disappeared into the shallows of the water. When she jumped into the air over a wave, the muscles in her legs rippled, displaying her well-trained ninja body and strength.

Then, Sakura turned and flashed a smile his way. Seeing her smile at him forced a smile onto Sasuke's face in return, and then he had to contain a laugh as a particularly big wave came up from behind her and knocked her forward a few steps. She regained her footing and shot Sasuke a slightly embarrassed grin. When she turned away again to continue playing in the ocean, Sasuke looked up at the sky and sighed.

"_I think these next few days are going to be wonderful." _

Down with Sakura, she took in a breath to contain her slightly embarrassed blush that Sasuke couldn't see from his distance, but then quickly forgot about the previous moment as she refocused on the waves that came rippling towards her. She walked back out to where she had been before, stepping through the waves to get there.

She watched the waves come in for a moment. It really had been a while, she thought, since she'd last been near the ocean and was able to play in it. The past few times she had been near it, she had been on missions, and time wouldn't permit for her to stop and play. It made Sasuke bringing her there for their honeymoon feel all the more special.

Suddenly, as she was about to jump another wave, something splashed into the water right in front of her, sending droplets of water spraying up at her. She recoiled back in surprise at first, and then realized that what had caused the incident was a ball. She stared at it for a moment, and then heard the sounds of someone calling in her direction.

"Hey!" She turned and saw a couple of men, who looked no older than her, coming towards her.

One of them grinned. "Hey there, you found our ball."

Sakura glanced down at the green ball, and smiled back. "I guess I did."

The other held up his hands. "Mind passing it over here?"

Sakura obliged. She picked up the ball and tossed it over to them. The second man caught it, and then smiled at Sakura.

"Hey," he passed a look at his friend, and then looked back at her, "you wanna join us in a game?" He flicked the ball into the air and caught it with the same hand.

Sakura's gaze flickered towards Sasuke, who didn't seem to be watching them. She looked back at them and smiled. "Sure."

Sasuke laid on his back with his eyes closed, taking in the sunlight. He listened to the sounds of the waves rolling onto the shore, the voices of other beach inhabitants floating around him, and the splashes of swimmers.

He heard the sound of Sakura laughing, and a smirk reached his face, glad to hear that she was enjoying herself. More laughter reached his ears, but this time he knew it wasn't Sakura's. It was deeper, masculine, and it came from two different people. He picked out the sounds of a ball being hit around.

Curious, Sasuke opened his eyes and pulled his head up to look out at the ocean. What he saw shattered his peaceful, happy state of mind as he saw Sakura hitting a ball between two unfamiliar men in the water.

Many lectures from Naruto rang through his head about his jealous tendencies when he saw Sakura with other guys. Naruto called it him being overprotective, he called it a man's natural sense to protect what was his, and considering their wedding rings sitting in their hotel room, Sakura definitely fell under that category.

He sat up, keeping his eyes trained on the two men who still played around with Sakura. He got to his feet and started to make his way towards the shoreline.

With Sakura's back to him, the kunoichi was entirely unaware of his advance. The two boys, however, had taken notice of him. He could tell they immediately knew what was on his mind. They glanced at each other, glanced at Sakura, and then, just to tick Sasuke off, it didn't seem they cared.

"Heads up!" The one who had been holding the ball at the time declared as he threw the ball up in the air. "Here comes a fast one!" He slapped it with his hand, sending it flying in Sakura's direction.

Sakura held up her hands to catch it, and had to jump up to try to reach it. However, it slipped through her fingers and kept soaring past her. She whipped her head around to see where the ball would land, and her eyes widened in shock.

Bam!

Sakura had known from the moment the boys had come up to her that they were trying to make a move on her. Truthfully, she thought, she really should have rejected them when they asked her to play with them, and for some reason, she didn't listen to her original thought.

The game itself had been fun and innocent. When she had seen one of the boys throw the ball up into the air and hit it high towards her, she wondered if she should just pull out her ninja skills and catch it. Now, she realizes, that probably would have been a good idea.

She watched in frozen shock as her eyes followed the path of the ball. It flew fast, but not so fast, she thought, that the situation couldn't have been avoided; which it surprised her slightly that it hadn't been avoided in the first place. Either way, she knew there would be hell to pay the second that ball connected with Sasuke's face, which was exactly what it did.

The expression on Sasuke's face, once the ball had fallen to the ground, displayed many things. Anger was the top one, of course, with bits of jealous and annoyed bits in his face. The boys appeared surprised as well, obviously not having intended to nail the Uchiha in the face with their ball.

However, Sakura knew from years of experience, Sasuke could care less. He was out for blood, and Sakura knew it was up to her to defuse the situation before their honeymoon was ended abruptly due to either getting thrown out of the resort for fighting, or having to explain why two young men never made it home.

Sakura scrambled over to where Sasuke stood and latched herself onto his arm.

"Sasuke," she called in the most soothing tone she could manage, considering her anxiety. "Sasuke, just calm down. It was an accident. It was my fault for not catching it. They didn't mean anything against you. We were just playing around. Sasuke." She rubbed a hand over his bare back.

Sasuke still stared intently at the two boys, though she knew he had heard her. His tense posture told her he was still a live wire.

"Sasuke," she whispered, this time in a more alluring tone. "Come on, let's forget about it for right now." She pressed closer to him. "Come on." She beamed. "It's just you and me this whole trip. Let's make it as enjoyable as possible."

Sakura's words finally seemed to work on him, as his posture relaxed and he tore his eyes away from the two men to meet Sakura's gaze. Sakura smiled up at him through half-lidded eyes, knowing she had reached him.

Sakura's hand trailed down his arm and twined through his fingers. "So, you want to start really enjoying our honeymoon here on the beach, or did you want to head back to our room? We can come back here whenever we want to."

Sasuke smirked and gripped her hand back. He began to lead her towards where he had set up their stuff. "I guess we could head back to the hotel room. We'll come back out here tomorrow. And next time," he squeezed her hand, "I'll come join you out in the ocean."

Sakura grinned as the two reached their spot. Sasuke let go of her hand to pick up their stuff. Sakura leaned down as well to pick up the spot he had set for her that she hadn't gotten to use. "That sounds great." She stated.

'"'"'"'"

"Man, this stuff beats travel meals _any day_." Sakura declared between bites of her dinner.

Sasuke smirked. "It's not that hard to beat dried fruit and instant ramen cups."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, I guess you're right." She took another bite, and glanced around the dining room they sat in. "I just can't believe how nice this place is."

"I've heard a lot of people praise it." Sasuke responded. "So I immediately thought of here when considering where to take you for our honeymoon."

At that, a light blush reached Sakura's cheeks and she glanced down at her wedding ring. Her eyes then traveled across the table to Sasuke's left hand. He sported a very similar ring on his finger.

Sakura grinned. "Well, I guess I had better start getting used to introducing myself as Sakura Uchiha."

Sasuke couldn't contain the smirk that reached his face hearing her new name. "And now I can finally really tell fangirls to back off, because I'm married."

Sakura's smile broadened. "Good point. No more death threats for us to just break up. I think marriage will shut them up." Sakura twirled her fork in her fingers. "But, let's forget about them."

"I heard that."

"So, what are the plans after all of this?" The words came out of Sakura's mouth before she knew what she was saying, and a blush reached her cheeks.

Sasuke looked at her for a moment, and then said, "Well, after this I guess we'll head to our room for the night. And tomorrow," he shrugged, "we can do whatever we want. There's no schedule besides to enjoy ourselves during the day we have left."

Sakura blushed harder, and nodded her head, glad that Sasuke didn't get the double meaning of her words. In her mind she could hear Tenten's voice asking her what she and Sasuke's plans were as far as a family was concerned. She glanced up at Sasuke through her lashes, and saw him idly eating his meal.

Suddenly, a memory that felt so old it almost seemed like it could have been a dream hit her. She could see the inside of Sasuke's apartment when it had still just been his, and she could see him sitting beside her as she looked up at him from her laying down position on his couch. She could remember the feeling she had felt that day as she had realized that Sasuke, despite the trouble the two of them had faced with Madara, had come back home again. Then, he had carefully helped her to sit up so that she could heal her injuries from her battle with Madara, and she had thought of how delicately he had handled her, like a father caring for his injured child.

"_Like a father." _She thought as she stared at him. A warm feeling spread through her, and she smiled, though he didn't notice it. _"And a loving and great father I know he will be." _

'"'"'"'"

"So, what did you think of today?" Sasuke asked as the couple climbed into their bed later that night.

Sakura grinned and shifted into a comfortable position. "I thought today was absolutely wonderful. You know…minus your little fit of jealously."

Sasuke huffed. "Yeah, yeah…I admit that."

Sakura's grin widened and she stretched her arm across Sasuke's torso. "Well, at least now I can really say you don't have to worry. I'm bound to you by law, husband."

Her comment made an amused smirk reach Sasuke's face. He slipped his arm under her, leaned in, and kissed her forehead. "I know that. It's just a habit, wife."

"I'm all yours." Sakura murmured, looked up at him, and stretched her neck up to press her lips against his. Sasuke surprised her, though, when he pressed into the kiss for more. Out of habitual reaction, she allowed it, and returned what he gave.

The couple continued for several moments. The only thing that broke them was Sakura's gasp of surprise as Sasuke reached his other arm around her waist and pulled her up onto him.

Sasuke smirked as the two pulled away slightly to look at each other. "Don't tempt me." He declared.

Sakura gave Sasuke a return smirk. "Why whatever do you mean?" She leaned in and gave him a light kiss. "How do I tempt you?"

Sasuke's smirk deepened, trying to match Sakura's. He beat her by transforming her smirk into a gasp as he rolled her onto her back, bringing him on top. He then quickly pressed his mouth against hers hungrily. Sakura's couldn't resist responding, and clamped her hands to the back of his shirt.

Suddenly, though, Sasuke pulled away, rolled off of her, and turned on his side so his back faced her.

"Goodnight." He called, pulling the covers over him.

Sakura stared in confusion for a moment, and then gawked. "I know what you're doing!"

Sasuke said nothing.

Sakura stared at his back stubbornly. "You did that to mess with me! So then I'm the one who's tempted!"

Sasuke made no response, but he was glad he knew she couldn't see the amused and triumphant smirk that was plastered to his face.

Sakura pressed her lips together, and then turned her back to him. "I can play your game."

Silence fell between the two. Seconds ticked by without a sound. However, it didn't last long. A moment later, the two turned back towards each other simultaneously and tangled into each other's arms again.

"Looks like we both couldn't resist." Sakura giggled.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, but his tightened hold on his wife gave her his agreement.

"So is this you admitting that you're tempted by me?" Sakura inquired.

Sasuke said nothing for a moment, and then he tried to turn away again. Sakura kept herself clamped onto him, though, not allowing him to get away.

Sasuke let out a breath and pulled her closer to him. "I'll leave it at: this isn't done with."

Sakura giggled into the collar of his shirt. "I love you, Sasuke."

Sasuke smiled lightly. "I love you, too."

Sakura closed her eyes and let out a little sigh before the two officially settled in to sleep.

"_I can't wait to see what these next four days will hold for us." _

**Done! Annnnnd, it's the day before I'm posting chapter eleven! Woo! This is SO awesome! Writing is coming so much easier now! (Probably, I think, because I'm about to hit the portion of this story I've been thinking about for a while. It's no in this arc, but it's the next one. That, and, you know, I love SasuSaku, and it makes me feel all fuzzy writing all this romance.) Anyway, you know, if my estimates are right…this story might not even be halfway over. It might be now, I'm not sure. I'm absolutely positive this will get past 20 chapters, but I don't think it'll reach 30. (Then again, I've been wrong before. We'll just have to see.) So, till then readers! Hope you enjoyed! **


	13. Do Not Disturb

**Chapter Thirteen- Do Not Disturb**

Sakura slowly woke up the next morning. Her eyes flickered open as they adjusted to the light in the room that poured in from the open door to the balcony. She brought a hand up and rubbed it over her eyes. Then, she glanced around to see that she was alone in bed. The sound of the shower running through the wall told her where Sasuke had gone.

Sakura laid there for a few more minutes, listening to the sounds around her. The shower running, the sounds of sea birds calling and flying around, and the sound of the waves from the ocean as they rolled over the shore.

"_This is nice…." _Sakura thought. _"It's so peaceful…unlike the usual busy sounds we'd get from a morning in Konoha." _

She sat up, stretching her arms into the air and yawning as she did so. A moment later, the sounds of the shower ceased, and she could now hear Sasuke moving around in the bathroom. She sat there for several minutes, still waking up.

Finally, the door opened, and Sasuke emerged. However, she hadn't expected him to walk out in nothing but boxers and a towel over his shoulders. Her face immediately flushed and she averted her gaze to the sheets.

Sasuke noticed that she was up, and he also noticed her reaction to seeing him so undressed. An amused smirk formed on his face. "What? Does this _bother_ you?"

Sakura blushed harder at his statement, knowing full well that he was messing with her. In her head she could clearly hear their conversation last night about temptation. She shook herself.

"_Come on, he's your husband now!" _She mentally berated herself. _"You've been living with him for over two years now! This shouldn't be anything weird or awkward! After all, if things go according that 'plan' then—" _Sakura's cheeks grew hotter.

Sasuke appeared on the verge of laughter seeing her flushed state. He chuckled inwardly. _"She's still this innocent? Jeez. We're going to have to fix that." _

Sasuke drew closer to her. Sakura's eyes widened in surprise, and she looked as though she was going to move away, but he had already reached her. He placed his hands on either side of her and put their faces close together.

"You didn't answer my question." He stated. "Does this _bother_ you?"

She groped for words for a moment. "I-I was just…surprised…was all. That was it. Uh…."

"Then why are you still blushing?" Sasuke adjusted so he was practically sitting on her legs. The only thing between his skin and hers were the sheets and blankets.

"_Damn hormones." _Sakura cursed mentally, but she couldn't look away from Sasuke now with the two so close together.

Sasuke's amused expression nearly cracked into a smile. "So, what is this doing to you?"

Finally, Sakura had enough. She threw her initial reactions to the wind, twined her arms around Sasuke's neck, and wound her fingers through his wet hair. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, having not expected such a response.

"I don't know." Sakura purred. "What's this doing to you?" She threaded her fingers up and down through his hair, as she knew he liked.

It took a moment, but Sasuke regained his composure, smirked, and reacted. He pressed his mouth to hers, the force pushing Sakura onto her back and Sasuke on top of her. His dark, damp hair brushed across her cheeks and mixed with her pink hair. His hands worked swiftly to remove the block of the blankets between them, and then he gave his full attention to his wife.

The two continued to kiss deeply, their legs wrapping together and hands roaming. At one point, Sakura could feel as Sasuke's hand moved down her side and stopped at the bottom of her nightshirt. It hesitated for a moment, but with no decline from her, it slipped inside, meeting her waist.

Sakura's legs tightened around his, pressing him closer against her as she felt his hand explore the surface of her stomach and wind underneath to rub the small of her back. His touch made her skin tingle wherever his hand moved. When he finished with the lower region of her torso, his hand slowly started to move up.

Knock, knock!

The couple pulled away with a start, surprised by the noise. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Sakura glanced down at Sasuke's boxer-clad form. She wiggled out from underneath him with an "I'll get that."

Flattening her shirt down, Sakura walked up to the door to their hotel room and pulled it open. She was greeted by the face of a woman in a maid outfit.

"Room cleaning service." The maid declared.

Sakura said nothing for a moment. She glanced behind her briefly at Sasuke, who sat on the bed now, and then back to the maid, who appeared to be waiting for a response from her. Obviously the maid couldn't see Sasuke with the bed hidden behind a wall and her body. Mentally, Sakura was glad for that.

"Uhhh, come back in an hour." Sakura stated.

The maid didn't question it. She bowed her head. "Okay." And then she left down the hallway.

Sakura shut the door once the maid was gone, and turned to face Sasuke. He smirked at her. "Care to finish what we started?"

Sakura shut her eyes and sighed. "I'd like to, but then I can't guarantee what that poor maid will walk in on in an hour."

Sasuke chuckled, and then got up. He walked up to Sakura, and then surprised her when he put his arms on her shoulders, leaned in, and kissed her. She responded, but didn't move forward.

When he pulled away, he had the same smirk on his face. "Alright. You owe me though."

Sakura mirrored his smirk. "Don't worry. We'll continue later tonight. Maids don't come around then, and even so," she picked up something that had been laying on a stand, "we have this."

Sasuke glanced down at it, and then couldn't help but laugh lightly. In her hand was a door hanger with the bold words printed on the front "Do not disturb."

He looked at her contentedly. "Sounds good to me." He rubbed a hand over her cheek. "I think we're going to be using that a lot."

Sakura smiled, and then stepped back from her husband. "Well then, I guess I'll go get in the shower real quick, and we can plan out what we'll do for the day."

"Okay." He agreed, and then a suggestive smirk reached his face. "Need a friend?"

Sakura's face immediately turned cherry red. "Sasuke!"

He laughed, but made no other response as he moved towards a dresser where he had put his clothes. He listened as Sakura rummaged quickly for some day clothes, and then went into the bathroom.

He sighed as he heard the shower turn on, and carefully worked to put his pants on.

"_After that, if there's one thing I need it's a cold shower." _

'"'"'"'"

"So how shall we spend our second day in heaven?" Sakura asked. The two stood on the balcony of their hotel room looking out at the ocean.

Sasuke shrugged. "Whatever you want to do."

"But I don't really know what there is _to_ do." Sakura huffed, leaning her forearms against the railing.

Sasuke smirked. "I could make a suggestion."

Sakura could feel heat in the tips of her ears. "Well we can't do stuff like that the whole time. We'd never leave the room…."

"Who said that's a bad thing?"

"Sasuke." Sakura chided, but heat crept up on her cheeks as a portion of her agreed with his suggestions.

"Well, I'm sure we can come up with something." He looked over at her. "There's the beach, trails to walk, sights to see."

"Hm…I guess you're right." Sakura mused.

"Though the offer still stands."

Sakura averted her gaze and stared intently at the ocean to avoid looking him in the eye. "Since when did you become such a romantic?"

"What? Am I not allowed to be romantic with my wife?" He leaned slightly over the railing to try to be in her range of vision. "Especially considering this rare occasion where it's just the two of us?"

Sakura's fingers laced and unlaced and fiddled together. Sasuke smirked, sensing the mental battle within her. A couple more words, he thought, and he just may win his prize.

"So," he drawled, "don't you agree with that?"

Sakura stopped fiddling, turned, and smiled at her husband. Sasuke stared back at her, awaiting the signal of his triumph.

"I have an idea." Sakura declared. "Let's head down to the lobby and take a look around. I'm sure we can find some information down there about what we can do." She looked at him for a moment more, and then headed into the room.

Sasuke stared after her for a moment, and then sighed. _"Damn it." _He thought dejectedly. _"I lost for now…." _He then proceeded to follow after her, and prepared to head off.

Down in the lobby, the two milled about and checked out fliers and brochures. Finally, Sakura spotted something.

"Hey Sasuke, look at this." Sakura called.

Sasuke looked up when his wife called for him, went over to her, and stood beside her as he followed her gaze towards a poster on the wall. It advertised a special dinner that would be held tomorrow which was open to all hotel guests to attend.

He glanced down at her. "What? Did you want to go to it?"

"I think it sounds nice." Sakura responded. "So why not?"

Sasuke looked back at the poster again and then back down to her. He shrugged. "Fine."

Sakura linked her arms with his and beamed up at him. "Okay then. I actually think I've had enough of looking for stuff to do now."

Sasuke smirked down at her, already assuming what she meant. "Okay. Shall we go then?"

She nodded. "Yeah. So, how about we grab a bite to eat?"

Sasuke's smirk faltered as he realized he had been rejected once again, but he quickly tried to gather himself back up and agree with her. The two then made their way over to the dining room.

"_I'll get you eventually, Sakura…just you wait." _

'"'"'"'"

"The third day already, huh?" Sakura announced as the two ate breakfast.

"Looks like it." Sasuke responded.

"Hm…so our honeymoon's already almost halfway over." Sakura mused.

"Yeah." He prodded at his meal. "Is there anything special you want to do today?"

"Well, we have that dinner to go to tonight."

"Oh yeah…." A thoughtful look crossed Sasuke's face. "So I guess that takes care of most of the late afternoon. What about before that?"

"Well, I did see a couple little brochures in the lobby yesterday about some attractions around here. I thought they sounded interesting."

"Hn," Sasuke responded, looking down despondently at his plate.

Sakura noticed his reaction, looked at him, and smiled.

"Actually," Sakura declared, making Sasuke look up at her, "I think I have a better idea."

Sasuke continued to look at her, waiting for her to elaborate. Sakura simply smiled more and then returned her attention to her meal.

"Well, are you going to say what your idea is?" He inquired.

Sakura giggled to herself. "Oh, I'll tell you when we get back up to our room."

Sasuke's brow rose in curiosity, but he held it down and continued to eat, wondering what Sakura had in mind.

When the two finished their meal, Sakura grabbed Sasuke's hand and began to lead him towards their room. Internally Sasuke smiled as he realized he was about to find out what Sakura had been talking about before.

The couple reached their room, and Sakura urged Sasuke in first. He went inside and turned to face her. Sakura had her back to him, and appeared to be holding something.

"So," Sasuke spoke up, "what's this idea of yours?"

Sakura made no reaction for a moment, and then she looked over her shoulder at him with a smirk. She held up what was in her hand, which in turn made Sasuke smirk right back at her. It was the "Do not disturb" door hanger.

"I know you've been waiting patiently for the past few days, and I'm glad to see you show so much self-restraint." Sakura turned away, opened the door, and dropped the sign onto the doorknob. She turned back to him with a smile. "So, how about I pay you back for all of that?"

Sasuke's smirk broke out into a triumphant smile as he walked forward to stand toe-to-toe with Sakura. He reached over and put a hand on her waist.

"Well it's about time." Sasuke declared. Sakura ran her hand up his arm to his shoulder. "You should know you're not going to be leaving here till it's time for dinner, right?"

Sakura's eyes drooped halfway closed. "Oh, I know. I figured."

Sasuke looked into her eyes for a moment, leaned in, kissed her forehead, her cheek, and then her lips. Sakura gripped his shoulders and pressed into the kiss. His hands ran up her back and pulled her closer.

When the two parted, Sakura moved her arms around his neck and leaned her forehead against his.

"Well then…let's get right to it."

'"'"'"'"

"Mmm…Sasuke…." Sakura moaned, her hands traveling under his shirt and up his back.

Sasuke hummed in tune with Sakura, and then came down and kissed her, making Sakura pull him down closer to her. He laid on top of her in bed, kissing what he could and trailing his hands along her body and through her hair.

"What time is it?" Sakura asked between a couple kisses. "We have to get ready for the dinner."

At that, Sasuke pulled away from Sakura and got up on his knees to see a clock on the wall, making Sakura shiver slightly as his warm body left her.

Sasuke smirked seeing her shiver, and then came over her again and planted a deep, long kiss on her mouth. When he pulled away he spoke against her lips. "It's only 4:30. The dinner's not till six. I say we have another half hour."

"But we still need to take showers and dry our hair and considering how long it'll take to get there…."

Sasuke kissed her again, tenderly, making Sakura stop her worried explanation.

"So you don't like the time we're getting?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura blushed as thoughts of their time together all day passed through her mind. "No, it's great, I just…"

Again Sasuke came down and silenced her with his mouth. Once he broke it though, he rolled off the bed and stood up. He helped Sakura out of bed and pulled her against him.

He kissed her hair. "I get it." He declared. "Though you should know you're not getting away. Once dinner's done, you're all mine for the rest of these two days, Sakura Uchiha."

Sakura giggled, hugged him, and kissed his neck. "I already am yours, but I understand, Sasuke Uchiha."

'"'"'"'"

That night they went to the dinner. Nothing exciting happened. The two enjoyed a nice meal together, and of course when the other wasn't looking they threw glares at the ogling fans of their spouse.

The next day, Sakura awoke to Sasuke urging her out of bed. She looked at him in a perplexed manner at first, but then he told her the plans for their day. Sakura grinned and quickly began to get ready. Soon, the couple was on their way.

"Come on, let's hurry over!" Sakura urged her husband, tugging him along by his hand.

"I'm coming, don't worry." He responded, allowing himself to get dragged along. "There's no need to rush. It's not like the beach is going to run away from you."

"Don't jinx it. Next thing you know some water jutsu user is going to appear and say 'I need this water' and take it!"

Sasuke shook his head, but decided against a retort as the two reached the shoreline.

Sakura beamed up at him. "So, you're gonna join me this time?"

"I said I would." Sasuke agreed.

Sakura's smile widened and she turned back towards the ocean. With her hand still laced together with Sasuke's, she took a step forward to allow her feet to enter the water. She sighed. "The water feels nice today."

Sasuke took a step forward and joined her with his feet in the water. They only stood there for a moment more before Sakura began to wade into the water, feeling only slight chills as the waves hit her dry skin. Sasuke followed. The two stopped when the water reached Sakura's waist.

Sakura beamed up at him, and then she started to move farther into the water as a wave came rolling towards them.

Right before the wave hit, Sakura took a deep breath, and then dove under it. The sudden contact with the water felt chilly, and the power of the wave pushed her back a little. She pushed against the sandy bottom, resurfaced, and then watched as the wave she had dove under continued on to the shore.

But then, she noticed that Sasuke had disappeared. She glanced around. "Sasuke?" She called.

Suddenly, she felt something brush her ankles. Her immediate reaction was to think that it was a fish or algae, and the prospect of both made her leap in surprise with a yelp. She fell back into the water as she saw something emerge from next to where she had been. At first, she thought it was a gigantic fish coming for her, but then she recognized the dark hair and trademark smirk of her husband.

"Sasuke!" She exclaimed, standing back up. "You scared me!"

Sasuke chuckled, but made no response.

Sakura shot him a vengeful look, and then dove down into the water. Sasuke looked around, expecting her to pop up at any moment. Several seconds ticked by, and still she was nowhere to be seen.

After a full minute had passed, Sasuke began to turn his head from side to side, searching for the pink head of his wife. Another minute passed, and still he didn't see her.

"_How long can she hold her breath again?" _Sasuke tried to remember. _"She has to come up for air soon. Where is she?" _

Yet another minute passed, and now he was worried.

"Where could she—?" Sasuke whipped around, only to find himself face-to-face with someone. He jerked backwards in surprise as he realized it was Sakura, who grinned up at him triumphantly.

"Got you." She giggled, proud of her success in scaring him.

He stared at her for a moment, smirked, and disappeared into the water.

Sakura smiled at his antics, and decided to counter him. She also dove into the water, and swam off to see if she could surprise Sasuke when he'd emerge and see she was gone again.

She swam around for about a minute and a half until she thought she had gotten far enough away. She wondered if Sasuke had already come up.

When she finally emerged from the water, she looked around, grinning, for Sasuke. She spotted him come up a little ways off from her, but then her eyes landed on some people who also saw him come up. A group of three girls in the water nearby, who all turned their heads together and giggled as they laid eyes on Sasuke.

Sakura felt a nerve in her twitch seeing them. She remembered a few days ago when Sasuke had gotten jealous of the two boys who had been playing with her.

"_Hm, it'd be hypocritical of me to get all jealous about this when I had berated Sasuke over it." _She furrowed her brow. _"But it doesn't mean I can't show those girls a thing or two indirectly." _

With that thought, Sakura dove back underwater and swam secretively over to Sasuke. When she reached him, she reached out and grasped his leg. She could feel him jerk in surprise at the touch, and she resurfaced, grinning at him.

"Got you again." Sakura declared.

He smirked at her, and then reached out and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well, now I've got you."

Sakura mirrored his smirk and twined her arms around his neck. They leaned in to each other for a kiss. They both could taste the salt of the ocean on each other's lips. When they pulled away, Sakura glanced over Sasuke's shoulder at the three girls from before, who now stared, disbelieving, at the sight. She looked at them with a smug contentedness, and then returned her attention to her husband.

Sasuke gazed down at her, his eyes softening. He just about leaned down for another kiss when they both heard something pop out of the water next to them.

The couple turned their heads at the noise, and stared down at a little orange frog that floated next to them, staring back up at them.

"Uh…." Sakura stammered. "Is that what I think it is?"

The frog stared up at them for a moment more, and then suddenly was enveloped in a puff of smoke. A paper flew up into the air in front of them, and Sasuke reached out and snatched it.

The two looked down at the note, and recognized the scribble of their teammate's handwriting.

_Hey lovebirds! Hope there's still just two of you, if you know what I mean! _

"That Dobe." Sasuke growled under his breath as Sakura's cheeks darkened.

_Anyway, I know you two are probably having a nice time being all couple-y and stuff, but I have some news for you guys that I couldn't wait to tell you! _

_So, you know me and Hinata are engaged now, and we have the day of our wedding! (Though it was Ino who came in and forced us to plan it.) _

"They're both typical." Sasuke declared. "The Dobe and Yamanaka."

_But anyway, so we're getting married in October just a little bit after my birthday! We would have had it after Hinata's birthday, but that just seemed like such a long time to wait. I mean, I already did the stupid thing of waiting till you guy's wedding day to propose to her! It felt like forever waiting for that day! So we're doing it then! And of course her being a Hyuga and all we're practically forced to do it at the Hyuga mansion. (Which makes no sense to me because she's gonna be an Uzumaki after this!) _

_So I really wanted to tell you guys that! We'll give you guys more details after you get back! (By the way, Sakura, Hinata wants you to be the Maid of Honor! And for some reason it was suggested the Teme be the Best Man…well don't get all full of yourself Teme, because you're not! I'm the awesome one!) See you all in a few days! –Naruto Uzumaki, The next Hokage and future husband of Hinata Uzumaki! _

"Oh, Naruto." Sakura sighed.

"Well you can't expect any less from him." Sasuke announced, and then dropped the paper into the water. Sakura raised a brow at that. "You think I'm going to bother going back to shore just to drop off a piece of paper with a bunch of stuff on it I already know? It's not like he'll care so long as he got his point across."

"Hm, I guess so." Sakura looked down and watched the soggy paper float for a moment, and then disappear as a wave splashed over them and took it away.

Sasuke turned his head up to the sky and found the sun. It had risen over their heads, and now began its decent downward for the last half of the day.

He reached over and twined his fingers with Sakura's. The action made her turn her head towards him.

"What's say we finish up here, grab some lunch, and then enjoy some quality time together in our room in honor of our last full day here?" He suggested.

Sakura smiled at his idea. "Sounds good to me."

**Ta-dahhhh! DONE! Though it's the day I'm updating…. I don't know why it's been hard to write. Actually…I might…I suck at writing filler! The meat of the honeymoon arc was supposed to last two chapters, but I just wasn't able to come up with a whole lot. (More like I had ideas, but not enough filler b.s. in me to make it all work. So…this is the result. It's a long chapter, but not enough for two….) Hope you people still like it though! Thankfully, I know what I'm doing for the next chapter, and I've already started it. Now all I need is a less hectic week than how this one's been, and hopefully I'll be able to get the next chapter done. So till then readers! **


	14. Ending It with a Bang

**Chapter Fourteen- Ending It with a Bang**

"Man, these five days just seemed to whiz by." Sakura huffed as the two stood together in the elevator with their luggage. "I can't believe it's over already…I wish we could just stay here forever."

"Then we'd never get paid, though." Sasuke pointed out.

Sakura smiled and shook her head. "I bet we could get jobs here. Medical help, guards, bellhops."

Sasuke chuckled as the elevator came to a stop and opened to reveal the lobby. "I think I'll stick to ninja life."

Sakura laughed as well as the two walked across the lobby.

Sasuke gestured towards the reception desk. "I'll go sign us out. You can just wait here."

"Okay. I'll be here enjoying our last moments."

Sasuke smirked at her, turned, and walked over to the reception desk.

Sakura stood in place rocking on the balls of her feet. She looked around at the lobby's décor, and glanced towards a large window that looked out towards the ocean. She sighed; this would be the last time in probably a while that she'd get to see the ocean again.

"Excuse me." Someone suddenly called. Sakura turned her head and found herself face-to-face with a male stranger.

"Who, me?" Sakura inquired.

The man nodded. "Are you…Sakura Haruno?"

Sakura stared for a moment, and then smiled. "I was. I recently got married. I'm Sakura Uchiha now. Did you need something?"

He smiled at her. "Where is your husband? Sasuke Uchiha."

Sakura's brow rose in a perplexed manner for a moment, and she turned her head towards the front desk where Sasuke was checking them out. "He—" but the words caught in her throat as she saw the man before her suddenly pull out a concealed knife and take a stab at her.

With trained ninja speed, she pivoted to the side and leapt back to gain distance between them.

"Sasuke!" She called, though she didn't take her eyes off of the stranger. "We've got trouble!"

Sasuke's head whipped around at the sound of his wife calling for him, and he immediately locked his gaze on the man with the knife. The receptionist behind him gasped in horror at the sight, and he bolted to Sakura's side.

"What does he want?" Sasuke asked as he reached her.

"I don't know." Sakura answered. "He just asked if I was Sakura, and when I said I was he tried to stab me."

Sasuke glared at the stranger. "Well, whatever reason he has, if he tries to touch you again I'll kill him."

Sakura looked back towards the man. "Who are you? And what do you want with us?"

The man said nothing. The knife glinted in the light from the room, and then he flicked it into the ground, making it stick straight up. He pulled out another knife, but when he held it up it didn't glint in the light. It took a moment for Sakura to realize why.

"There's a paper bomb attached to the knife!" Sakura exclaimed. "He's going to blow this place up!"

Sasuke cursed, but it was drowned out by the sounds of mass panic that overtook the people who were still in the room. Many of them began to flood towards the door in fear, effectively shrouding the three in the throng of panicked citizens. Sakura tried to keep her eyes trained on the man with the bomb, but the moving bodies made it difficult.

Sakura pushed through the crowd, trying to reach the stranger. She knew she had reached where he had been when her foot knocked against the knife in the floor. She immediately began to whip her head around in search of the man.

Sasuke reached her side a moment later, his Sharingan activated.

"Can you see him?" Sakura asked, still scanning the crowd that rushed past them.

"No, it's too hard with all of these people." Sasuke responded, deactivating the Sharingan. "But we have to find him before that bomb goes off."

"I guess this means the vacation's over." Sakura huffed, and then looked back towards Sasuke. "We'll find him faster if we split up."

Sasuke looked hesitant to separate from his wife in such a situation, but he knew she was right, and nodded his head. "I'll take the right end, you take the left."

"Right." She responded. Sasuke took off in his direction, and Sakura turned to head off as well, but she felt her foot hit something that certainly wasn't the knife.

She glanced down, but couldn't see anything at first. She moved her foot forward and felt it again, and then she caught the flash. It was a wire attached to the hilt of the knife.

"_And where there's a wire, there's someone at the end somewhere who set it up." _She thought.

So as not to tip off the stranger that she had found him out, she followed the wire by keeping it brushed up against her ankle. She walked carefully, following the line. It went on for a few yards, and then she found another knife. It had a paper bomb attached.

Gulping in nervous anxiety, she leaned down and carefully felt around the knife. She found the string going off in another direction. Following it with her eyes, she saw that it went down a hallway. With no one down there, she could clearly see the other knife at the end of the hall, which she was sure also had a paper bomb attached.

"_That's his plan!" _Sakura realized. _"He's setting up a trail for the bombs to set off each one in succession."_

Sakura stood up and looked around in search of Sasuke.

"_But for his plan to work, he needs us to still be in the hotel. Of course he knows we'd probably find his trail, which would keep us in here because of our ninja sense to protect others. However," _Sakura finally spotted Sasuke, _"just to be sure, he's probably going to make an appearance to keep us occupied, and then he'll slip away at the last second and blow the place up with us inside." _

With that realization in mind, Sakura ran towards Sasuke. She quickly relayed her discoveries to him as the hotel finally emptied.

"And then there were three." Sasuke declared, looking around for any signs of an attack.

"He must still be setting up." Sakura announced. "Do you think we should try to deactivate some of the bombs?"

"Too dangerous." Sasuke responded. "Last thing we need is to do his job for him and get ourselves blown up."

Sakura was silent as she thought for a moment. "Then what about cutting the wires?"

"I don't know if that will work. For all we know that could be the trigger."

"Well we have to do something."

"I know." Sasuke continued to look around.

Sakura's fingers twitched with anxiety. "Well then should we go after him?"

Sasuke didn't respond immediately. He seemed to be deep in thought about their predicament. Then, "Might be our only chance. If we can stop him before he's done setting up, at least."

Sakura beamed, finally knowing what they planned to do. "Well then let's not waste any more time."

The two then hurried off down the hallway that the wire disappeared into. It went straight down the hallway, sometimes branching off into other rooms. It eventually did another turn outside towards the hotel pool, and wound around it to go back into the building. From there, it went back down another hall back in the direction they came from.

"He's creating a box." Sasuke commented.

Sakura nodded. "The better to trap us in. Let's hurry."

The continued to follow the wire down the hallway until they reached the end and found themselves in front of a large two-panel door, which was slightly ajar.

Sakura looked at Sasuke in slight apprehension, but Sasuke continued on and pushed the door open. They entered into a large, open room with tables everywhere.

"This is where we came for dinner a couple nights ago." Sakura declared.

Sasuke nodded in agreement, and then pointed forward. "Look."

Sakura followed his finger, and her eyes landed on a knife in the middle of the room.

"It doesn't look like it's got wire branching off from it." Sasuke stated, activating his Sharingan. "He must be nearby."

Sakura looked around cautiously for any signs of the man. She almost leapt in surprise when something brushed her hand. She glanced down quickly to see Sasuke's hand as he grasped hers.

She was confused for a moment, but then he tightened his grip and pulled her to the side just in time as a knife whizzed past her head and stuck in the door.

Sakura's senses immediately went on alert. She looked towards Sasuke. "Can you see his chakra with your Sharingan?"

Sasuke shook his head. "No. I know he's in here, but I don't see anything."

"Is he masking it?"

"I don't think so." He responded. "I think he's not a ninja, so he hasn't even unlocked his chakra."

"The better to confuse and then kill a ninja…." Sakura murmured. "He's after us for some reason, and he's trained to kill."

"Well then I guess we'll have to kill him before he kills us."

Sakura nodded in agreement just as a movement caught her eye.

"There!" She exclaimed, pointing towards the table the stranger had hidden himself under.

Sasuke was the one to make a move. He disappeared in a flash, and reappeared behind the table. He grabbed the tablecloth and ripped it off the table. The man, having been caught quicker than he thought he would, stared in shock for a moment, and then bolted away from the Uchiha.

However, he quickly found Sakura on his tail. She caught him by the back of his jacket, pulled him up, and slammed him into a table, which collapsed under his weight. He laid there, gasping for air as Sasuke and Sakura moved to either side of him.

"Who are you?" Sakura questioned. "And what do you want with us?"

The man looked up at her silently, obviously not inclined to answer.

Sakura took a step closer and stared down at him threateningly. "I said—"

Her words were cut off as the man then pulled out two knives and hurled them towards the two. They both had to dive to dodge them, and when they looked back to where the man had been, he had disappeared.

Sakura immediately reached for the tablecloth of another table and ripped it off. Nothing was under it. She looked around. "He's hiding again. He can't have gotten far."

Without responding, Sasuke too began to tear tablecloths from their tables in search of the stranger. It was bad enough, he thought, that the man was after them during their honeymoon, but now he was taking the cowardice way of fighting by hiding every chance he got.

"_He's no real fighter." _Sasuke thought. _"Whoever sent him after us is an idiot for thinking he could _actually_ beat us." _

Sasuke continued to look under tables, still unable to find the man.

"Ah!" Sasuke froze in surprise, and then whipped around at the sound of his wife's cry. His eyes widened as he took in the sight. The man underneath a revealed table, his arm still outstretched, and the knife that protruded from Sakura's arm with blood flowing.

Sasuke's anger immediately flared and boiled over. He reached the sight in a second, grabbed the man, and slammed his fist into his face, glad to hear the sound of a crunch as he broke the man's nose. He dropkicked the man, who rammed into a chair which toppled over with him.

The stranger clutched his face in agony for a moment. He peered out from a crack in his fingers to see Sasuke standing by Sakura with a worried expression on his face over her wound. He watched as Sakura yanked the knife out of her arm, and then immediately put her hand over the wound to begin healing it.

He laid there in pain for a moment more, pushed himself up, and began to run.

Sasuke and Sakura almost immediately noticed him moving. Then they realized where he was headed. He was headed towards his bomb trap.

"He's going to kill us all!" Sakura gasped.

The man pulled out another knife and went towards the wire. Sasuke rushed over to stop him. However, as Sasuke almost reached him, the man grinned in triumph, jumped, and drove the knife into Sasuke's stomach. Only a split second realization and slight movement kept the knife from hitting any vitals.

Sakura's eyes widened in horror as she watched her husband get stabbed. She made a step towards them, but then froze as the scene continued.

Sasuke grabbed hold of the man's wrist before he could take his hand off of the knife handle. He channeled lightning chakra from him to the man. The man's eyes widened in surprise and pain as the electricity coursed through him. A moment later, he dropped to the ground.

Sakura ran to Sasuke's side as he stumbled backwards away from the man, who now laid unconscious on the ground. She led Sasuke to a chair and sat him down. From there she worked carefully to remove the knife from him and heal his wound.

Sasuke smirked. "I guess it's days like these I should be grateful to be married to a medical prodigy."

Sakura blushed lightly and smiled up at him. "I guess so. And I should be glad I'm married to such a strong man."

Sasuke's smirk widened as Sakura finished her work. The two stood and moved towards the door.

Sakura stopped in front of one of the knives for the bomb trap, and crouched down next to it. She examined it for a moment, and then her brows rose in surprise.

"Sasuke, come look at this." She called.

Sasuke crouched down next to her, and watched with a mix of confusion and shock as Sakura reached out and ripped the paper bomb off of the knife.

"What are you—?" Sasuke began to question until Sakura held the bomb up in front of his face.

"Looks like we were tricked." Sakura declared. "This isn't a real paper bomb. Just a piece of paper with some scribbles that look like a paper bomb on it."

Sasuke stared at the paper for a moment. "But why would he set up a fake bomb trap?"

"Most probably," she answered, "to for one, keep us in here because of our ninja senses to protect others, and for two to limit our abilities. We wouldn't be able to risk doing bigger, flashier moves with the threat of blowing ourselves up. It was a tactic to limit our abilities."

"Well it didn't seem to work, did it?" Sasuke commented. "He didn't do his homework on us. We don't need flashy, big moves to take out our enemies."

Sakura nodded. "Though he did still certainly fool us."

Sasuke said nothing in response. The two shifted to stand, but then a noise caught their attention.

With hardly a moment's notice, the stranger had regained consciousness and now he lunged at the two with knives in hand.

Sasuke was faster than him, though. He whirled around, his hand already charged with a Chidori. He thrust his arm forward and his lightning filled hand went right through the man. The man stared blankly ahead for a moment, and then he went limp and fell back to the ground. This time he was dead.

Sasuke casually reached over and grabbed a tablecloth to wipe off his bloodied hand. Sakura went to the stranger and kneeled down next to him. Something caught her eye poking out of a pocket inside his jacket. She reached over and pulled it out. She then opened it and began to examine it. The contents made a surprised look reach her face.

"Sasuke," she called, "I found something."

Sasuke looked towards his wife, and then joined her by the man. He looked down at the little booklet she had picked out of the man's jacket. Two pages stood out to him. Each one pictured him or Sakura, and gave descriptions on them. Their battle styles, their abilities, as well as general information.

"Well, this confirms that he was after us for some reason." Sakura mused. She flipped through the rest of the pages. "And leave it to his employer to not leave a single trace of who they might be. No symbol of a village or clan, no names mentioned besides our own, nothing but information on us."

"But then why was he after us?"

Sakura shrugged. "Who knows. I mean, I can imagine there would be some people who'd like us to be dead. You're an ex-criminal, and you're really strong."

"And you're a tough medical genius." Sasuke stated. "And we're both part of the Leaf Village. I guess we're considered advantages."

"Guess so." Sakura closed the booklet and stood up. "Come on, let's clean up this fake bomb trap, and tell everyone it's safe."

"Right." Sasuke agreed, and stood up as well. He sighed. "I'm betting this means they're never going to let us come to this resort ever again."

Sakura laughed. "Awe, but I like it here. And I mean, there were no damages, right?"

Sasuke looked at her, and then gestured behind him. There was the stranger's bloody body on the floor, tablecloths everywhere, a broken table, as well as broken glass from flower vases which had been on some of the tables.

"Okay, so we made a mess in _one_ room. They can still cut us some slack."

Sasuke chuckled, and then walked up to stand beside his wife. He laced his fingers with hers and tugged her forward. "Well then I guess we'll find out when we get out there."

'"'"'"'"

"So you guys were just randomly attacked at the end of your honeymoon?" Naruto questioned. They were back in Konoha, and were currently at Naruto's place relaying the events of the past few days.

"Like I said," Sakura corrected, "it wasn't randomly. The guy was sent after us."

"I know, but, during your _honeymoon_?"

"It was probably the best chance because we were unarmed and unprepared." Sakura responded. "It's not like we'd bring our ninja gear with us for something that was supposed to be romantic. We didn't think anyone would actually go after us."

"Well, I guess now you've learned your lesson." Naruto beamed.

"Yeah, bring your weapons regardless and don't tell people were we're going." Sasuke huffed.

"But all-in-all it was a really great time." Sakura smiled.

Sasuke smirked knowingly at Sakura, who giggled lightly.

Naruto looked at the two, and then something hit him. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." The couple looked towards their teammate. "You guys got my message right?"

"Oh, yeah we did." Sakura answered.

Naruto grinned. "So about that question of mine in the letter about there still being two of you…."

Sakura's cheeks flared into a bright pink blush. "Naruto!"

Naruto laughed as Sasuke glared at him. "Well?"

Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other for a moment, and then turned back towards Naruto. "I'm pretty sure not." Sakura answered.

"Pretty sure…wait! So did you guys actually—?"

"I'm pretty sure that's none of your business, Dobe." Sasuke growled. He stood up. "Come on, Sakura. Let's head home."

"Uh, okay." Sakura stood up with him. "We'll see you later, Naruto."

Naruto said nothing as the two exited his home. Once they were gone, though, a big grin reached his face. "Well, if they continue on like _that_, there might just be little people running around in no time."

**Ta-dah! I have done it! (Granted it's Sunday now, rather than Saturday…I didn't really have any time to write yesterday anyway…so there was really no chance of getting the chapter up….) Anyway, so this ends the honeymoon arc! And because of how things have been going for me, I've junked what was supposed to be the next arc and turned it into a one chapter transition thing. (Not even really transition, just doing something that I wanted to do.) But this is all beside the point. I have bigger news, which some of you may not like. I don't think I can keep up Saturday updates anymore. I mean, I like it because after an update I have a whole week to write a chapter, but lately that's just not enough time. I actually have this thing called a life outside of fanfiction, and it as well as not having inspiration keeps me from being able to write. So, I'm going to say for now that you can hope I'll update on Saturdays still (because very soon things are going to pick up to the most exciting parts of the story, which is stuff I've been thinking of since near the time I started writing this) so I may be able to write a bit better. But, I'd say just keep on the lookout because I can update any day. I'll probably try to keep it spaced to about a week between each chapter, but if it goes over, that just means I'm not done yet, but once I do get done, no matter what day it is I'll update. So, that's all for now. This is a really long author's note…. Till the next chapter people! (Whenever that is….) **


	15. A Magnificent Gift

**Chapter Fifteen- A Magnificent Gift**

Sasuke woke up to light from the rising sun pouring into the room and hitting his face. He slowly blinked his eyes open and registered Sakura's familiar form and pink hair laying next to him with her back to him. Seeing her immediately made a light, contented smile form on his face. He took in a breath and sat up. He glanced to the side and simply stared at his wife sleeping for a moment. Then he slipped out of bed and began his normal routine to get ready for the day.

A little while later, Sasuke still found himself to be the only one up. He entered the kitchen and prepared some breakfast for himself. He took a sip of water as he heard a door slam and footsteps running. He glanced up in time to see two little bodies dash past the window of their home. He immediately knew them to be the children of the family that live in the apartment next to theirs.

Sasuke sighed after they passed, and not for the first time a thought crossed his mind, but he quickly shook it off and continued on with his morning.

A little while later, Sakura emerged from their room and joined him at their dining table with some breakfast.

Sakura huffed. "I can't believe it's already been two weeks since our honeymoon."

Sasuke smirked. "Yeah."

"So…our one month anniversary is coming up in a bit over a week."

Sasuke's smirk twitched towards a smile, but he made no response. Sakura ate her breakfast silently for a few minutes until she finished. She stood up with her plate and exited to the kitchen. Sasuke could hear water running as she cleaned her plate.

When Sakura came back out, Sasuke spoke up. "We need to go shopping today."

Sakura thought for a moment. "Oh yeah, it's Saturday." Saturday, she thought, was the day they always went shopping for food and anything else they needed. "Let me just get ready really quick and we'll head off."

Sasuke nodded, and then stood up. "I'll see what we need in the kitchen while you do that."

"Okay." Sakura agreed as she disappeared down the hall.

Sasuke wandered between their refrigerator and pantry for a while, writing down occasionally things that they were short on or were gone that they needed. When he finished with that, he leaned up against the counter and contemplated if there was anything else they needed besides food as Sakura continued to get ready.

Sakura returned a few minutes later, and Sasuke handed her the list he made for her to check over and add anything he forgot. Once they were ready, they set off for the store.

As they walked together, Sasuke couldn't help but look at the people around them. Kids ran around freely or with their parents, and people exited or entered stores and homes.

"It sure is busy right now." Sakura commented. "It's almost time for kids to return to the Academy."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted in agreement. Students from the Academy were on break right now, and soon they were going to be back in school.

"I bet the weapon stores are almost empty now." Sakura smiled. "I remember when we were students, you pretty much had to buy everything you'd need for the next stage of the Academy right after you finished the last one or else all the weapons and scrolls and other supplies would be gone within a week."

"I remember." Sasuke replied. "Then it would take another two or three weeks before they could make enough to stock up again."

"Those were the days, huh?" Sakura giggled.

"Hn," Sasuke responded, and then turned. "We're here."

Sakura looked up. They were in front of the grocery store. The two walked in, Sasuke grabbed a hand basket, and Sakura pulled out the list of what they needed. They made their way through the store, grabbing whatever they needed and filling up their basket. Once Sakura crossed off the last item on their list, they proceeded to the check-out counter.

They found a surprising sight as they reached the counter.

"Kakashi-Sensei?" Sakura gasped as she noticed who stood behind the counter.

"Yo." Kakashi greeted the two with a peace sign. "Got everything you need?"

"What are you doing working here?" Sakura questioned.

"What? Am I not allowed to take on a part-time job in order to get a bit more money?"

"It's just…surprising." Sakura answered. "But why do you need more money? You were doing just fine for the past…ever."

"Well, considering I have to pay for everything by myself rather than with a friend or significant other," Kakashi's one-eyed gaze flickered between Sasuke and Sakura, "a little extra breathing room money is always a good idea."

"I think that's Kakashi-speak for there's some new, disturbing series of books he wants to read, but he doesn't have the money to fuel his perverted desires." Sasuke declared.

Kakashi glared at him. "You have much to learn, little Sasuke. Still so young and newly married. Just you wait. Soon you'll be coming to me for reference."

"Why the hell would I come to _you_ for reference?"

"Oh, you know," Kakashi drawled as he went through and bagged their groceries. "Manly advice, elder advice, ninja advice, Icha Icha-related advice."

"_Kakashi-Sensei_!" Sakura's cheeks flared in embarrassment.

"But anyway," Kakashi went on merrily, "you gonna pay for this stuff?"

Sakura cast a furtive glare at her former Sensei as she pulled out a wallet to pay.

"You haven't changed one bit with marriage, Sakura." Kakashi chuckled. "Still so innocent, eh?"

"My only thing is I don't have thoughts that go to your level." Sakura grumbled.

"So you admit you have thoughts?"

Sakura's cheeks deepened a couple shades.

"Just shut up, Kakashi." Sasuke intervened. "You're doing a crappy job with customer service."

"Fine, fine. I apologize." Kakashi waved a hand dismissively. "So, how have things been?"

"Fine." Sakura answered.

"Just fine? It's already a few weeks into your marriage and things are just fine?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Are you guys still living in that stuffy old apartment?"

"What's it to you?" Sasuke shot back. "We're perfectly fine there."

"I'm just saying. It explains why Sakura still seems so innocent. You guys are too wary about scaring the neighbors on the other side of the wall."

Now Sakura's whole face turned a shade of pink. She snatched the change Kakashi had prepared for her off the counter and grabbed a couple of their bags.

Sasuke proceeded to pick up the last of their bags and send a glare Kakashi's way. Kakashi just smiled through his mask and waved at them merrily. "Come again soon! Have a good day!"

The two exited the store and began on their trek home.

"Kakashi-Sensei can be so stupid sometimes." Sakura fumed, still trying to regain her composure.

"I know. Just have to deal with it." Sasuke replied.

Sakura let out a big sigh, helping to regain her normal skin temperature. "Who's he to insult our apartment? We've been living there comfortably for almost three years! Well, you for more than that, but you get my point."

"Yeah." He agreed, his eyes drifting off from the path and to the buildings around them.

"And I mean, if he should talk to anyone it's Naruto. He's been living in the same apartment for pretty much his entire life."

Sasuke simply grunted and nodded in response, still looking around at the buildings they passed.

"Are you okay, Sasuke?" Sakura asked, looking up at him with concern.

"Hm? Ah, yeah, I'm fine." Sasuke answered, taking his gaze away from the buildings.

Sakura continued to gaze up at him for a couple more moments, and then she returned her attention to the path. The two continued on their way home silently.

Inside Sasuke, the thought he had before was beginning to grow into a nagging force.

'"'"'"'"

"I can't believe I actually did this…." Sasuke huffed.

"Well, you said there was no way in hell you were going to go to Kakashi-Sensei, so obviously I'm the next best—wait a minute…I should always be the best choice! _I'm_ your best friend!" Naruto declared.

"Shut up, Dobe."

"Teme!"

Sasuke sighed. "So are you going to be helpful or not?"

"Well I don't know. You _did_ just tell me to shut up."

"Fine. _Talk_. What do you think?"

"About wha—? Oh yeah. I think it's a good idea!" Naruto answered with a grin. "Granted you may have to do like Kakashi-Sensei and get a part time job."

"I'm perfectly fine on money. Unlike you I don't spend it all on ramen on the spot."

"Hey! I don't spend it all on the spot on ramen! I have to pay for stuff, too! How do you think I paid for Hinata's engagement ring? Or how I'm paying for the wedding coming up!"

"I thought the Hyuga's were doing the arrangements."

"…I'm paying for some of it! I mean, I'm bringing my own ramen! I don't want to eat some of the stuff the Hyuga's are gonna put out for us! And I'm paying for the wedding rings!"

"Wow, _two_ things you have to pay for. Unlike you guys, Sakura and I actually split what had to be paid for."

"Well you know the rule. If someone else offers to pay _you let them_!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Could we get back on track?"

"Oh, right, we're talking about _you_." Naruto huffed. "I say go for it! There's nothing stopping you!"

Sasuke thought for a moment. "What if she doesn't want it, though?"

"Ah, come on! Girls are always happy to get big presents! Even if they start worrying about us guys spending too much, you know they still like it."

"Well, our one month anniversary is coming up in five days…."

"Great! Use that! It'll give you four days to find the perfect one!"

"I guess."

"I'm right!"

"Shocker."

"Shut up, Teme!"

Sasuke stood up. "Yeah, fine. I'll go ahead and do it."

"Right, you do that." Sasuke began to head towards the door. "Hey! Wait! You're leaving already?"

"I got what I came for. I have no other reason to be here."

Naruto scoffed. "Talk about being best friends! You don't even spend time with me anymore!"

"You have a fiancée to spend time with, and I have other things to attend to. You're just fine. So suck it up." Sasuke then exited the apartment and shut the door.

Once Sasuke got on the road to head home, his conversation with Naruto went through his head. His thumb fiddled in his pocket with his wedding ring. As he walked, a sign caught his eye. He stopped and looked at it for a moment. His thumb went over his wedding ring one more time, and then his feet led him off the trail to home.

'"'"'"'"

Later that day, Sasuke entered his and Sakura's apartment. He shut the door, sending a reverberating noise across the house.

"Is that you, Sasuke?" He heard Sakura call from the kitchen.

"Yeah." He replied, and made his way over to the kitchen after taking off his shoes.

Sakura greeted him with a smile and quick kiss when he entered. "You were at Naruto's for a while. What were you guys doing?"

"Not much." Sasuke answered. "Time just flew."

"Well, at least you had a nice time."

"I don't know if you could call an afternoon with the Dobe a nice time."

"Oh, come on." Sakura grinned up at him. "I know you two care about each other. You just have a funny way of showing it."

Sasuke shrugged. "So what have you been doing?"

"Well, as you can smell, I've been cooking. You're just in time for dinner."

Sasuke smirked. "Sounds good."

'"'"'"'"

Later that night after they had eaten and cleaned up, the two found themselves curling up together for bed. Sasuke decided now was the best time to talk to her.

"Hey Sakura." Sasuke called, making her look up at him.

"What's up?"

"Did you want a gift for our one month anniversary?"

Sakura's brow rose. "Why ask? You usually do it anyway, whatever magnificent thing you come up with."

Sasuke chuckled. "Magnificent?"

"Well think of all the gifts I've gotten from you. For our first year anniversary of becoming a couple you took me out on an amazing date, for another you asked me to move in with you, and for another you proposed to me. You might act cold towards others, but you sure do have a thoughtful side to you."

"So is that a 'yes, I want a gift?'"

"Do what you like." Sakura beamed. "I can only wonder what you've come up with this time."

Sasuke smirked and slipped his arm under her pillow. "Well, I think you'll love it."

Sakura gazed at him for a moment more, sighed, and then shut her eyes. "I can't wait for our one month anniversary then."

'"'"'"'"

"Are we almost there yet?" Sakura asked.

"Almost." Sasuke responded by her ear. "Just wait."

"I really can't figure out what you've got up your sleeve." Sakura chatted. "I mean, we're pretty far from home by now. Is it something big?"

Sasuke smirked. "I'd say so."

The two continued to walk for a while longer. Finally, Sasuke pulled Sakura to a stop.

"Okay," he declared, "go ahead and look."

Sakura opened her eyes at his command, blinked, and registered what was in front of her. She gasped and whipped her head around to look at Sasuke in questioning disbelief. He smirked and nodded his head, confirming that he was serious.

She turned back around. The two stood in front of a house. It was only one story, and it wasn't extremely large, but seeing it still took her by surprise.

Sakura looked back at Sasuke. "You must be joking." She glanced back at the house. "You must be. You bought a _house_?"

"Well, I figured that apartment living couldn't suit us forever." Sasuke responded. He reached over and grasped her hand. "Would you like to take a look inside?"

Sakura grinned up at him. "Of course! Let's check it out!"

Sasuke smiled down lightly at her, and then led her towards the front door. He pulled a key out from his pocket and unlocked the door. He swung it open and stepped to the side, sweeping his arm in a gesture for her to enter first. Sakura giggled at his action, and stepped inside.

They entered upon a hallway. Taking a few more steps inside, she then came into the empty space of a living room. On her right, windows poured sunlight into the room. To the left there was a hallway from where she could see two doors, which turned abruptly to the right so she couldn't see how much farther down it went.

Looking forward, a wall and entryway separated the living room and what would undoubtedly be the kitchen. She walked forward across the living room to inspect the kitchen. It had all the standard parts of a kitchen, and a door in front of her led out to a backyard.

Sakura turned back around to face Sasuke with a smile on her face.

"This place looks great!" She declared.

Sasuke made no response, and beckoned her back to him with a wave of his hand. She complied, and as she walked towards him she noticed a door in the living room which had been hidden to her by the wall. Sasuke walked over to it and opened it. She peered inside to find a small but quaint room.

"I figured this room would probably be a great study for you, seeing as you bring home hospital work a lot." Sasuke announced. "It's better than covering the kitchen table in paperwork."

Sakura laughed. "How thoughtful of you."

Sasuke smirked, grasped her hand, and led her towards the hallway she had looked down. They went down it, and Sasuke opened all the doors to reveal what was inside. The first and only door on the left side of the wall was a bathroom. The next door they opened revealed a room, as did the one after that. Then they came to a door at the end of the hallway. Sasuke opened that one as well to reveal the master bedroom. It was larger than the other two rooms, and included a bathroom of its own. A window right across from them looked out into the backyard.

"It's so nice." Sakura proclaimed, walking towards the center of the room.

"It's not the best I'd found, but it was for a good price, and it should accommodate us for the next few years." He watched her as she examined the empty room. "That and something told me this would be the best choice."

"Well whatever told you was right." Sakura responded. "It's perfect."

Sakura then proceeded to walk up to Sasuke and wrap her arms around him in a hug. She looked up at him with a bright smile.

"Thank you. Sorry to say I didn't find anything as grand as this."

Sasuke hugged her back, leaned down, and held a kiss for a few seconds. When he pulled away he said, "That doesn't bother me. I'm not much into having stuff anyway; except you of course."

Sakura giggled. "So, when do we move in?"

"Soon as we start packing." Sasuke responded. "We can spend the next couple days doing it if you want."

Sakura grinned. "Sounds good to me!"

'"'"'"'"

The two spent the rest of that day packing, and then the next day they moved everything into their new house with the help of a few friends. It was late in the afternoon when they released their friends and found themselves together with most of their furniture cluttered in the middle of most of the rooms.

"Ah, I'm exhausted." Sakura huffed as she dropped herself onto their couch which sat in the middle of their new living room.

Sasuke came up and sat down beside her, swinging his arms up on the back of the sofa and behind her. "Well, we've been working most of the day. I think we deserve a little break."

Sakura nodded in agreement and fit herself under her husband's arm. She rested her head on his shoulder and let out a big sigh. "Well, the good news is we're almost done. Then we can enjoy living in our new house."

"Yeah." He agreed. It fell silent for a few moments as the two rested against each other.

"So where do you think we go from here?" Sakura asked.

Sasuke thought for a moment. "Well, I guess we can arrange everything as we see fit and unpack and—"

"Not _that_ 'where we go from here.'" Sakura interrupted. "I mean…now that we _do_ have our own house and we're married and settled in to our lives as ninja…what do we do?"

That took Sasuke longer to think about. He finally shrugged. "Whatever we want."

"That's not very specific."

"Well did you have anything in mind?"

"Uh…." Sakura's cheeks felt a little warm. "Well, like I said, it seems we're now officially settled into our lives."

"Mmhm." Sasuke hummed in response.

Sakura strummed her fingers against her legs for a moment. "I guess you're right. We can do whatever we want now. Nothing's stopping us."

Sasuke smirked. "Right."

Sakura stood up and faced her husband. "Okay then, I guess maybe we should go ahead and arrange our room. We need somewhere to sleep for the night."

"Fine." Sasuke responded, standing up so the two stood in front of each other.

Sakura smiled up at him, and then turned and started walking towards their room. Sasuke followed a moment later, keeping his eyes trained on the Uchiha symbol that now adorned Sakura's back. He smiled.

"_I think we both know what the next step for us will be." _He thought. _"We'll talk about it someday. For now…I'll let her be the only other one to wear the Uchiha symbol. That'll change in time." _

**DONE! Well, I would say that the next arc of the story is probably obvious, **_**but it's not**_**! I know what you people may think, but I assure you, we're not there quite yet. (If at all. Fwahaha! No, I have plans. I know what's gonna happen.) Anyway…so I finished this! I know…you guys waited a month of silence just for a transition chapter…I'm sorry. I thought writing this was going to be WAY easier than it turned out to be! Yet more proof to the obvious: Okami-chan **_**sucks**_** at writing filler! But…it's necessary crap all the same, because it helps with transition and blahblahblah. Sigh…hope I never have to go through this again. (But it seems I found what my problem was: focus to work. My solution: stick headphones on my head and play music to block out unwanted noise distractions from the outside world. Works like a charm considering it just let me write 2000 words to finish this! Woo! Time to move on to a guaranteed more exciting arc of the story! Till then readers! **


	16. A Feeling

**Chapter Sixteen- A Feeling**

It had felt like a mission when everything first began. A rocky cliff side with a forest nearby which held a trail to some town easily befitted a sight typically seen while on a mission. Of course, Sasuke couldn't seem to figure out when he had been assigned to go on a mission. Everything before seemed a blur to him.

Sasuke looked around, taking in his surroundings. He kept himself on alert to the possibility of an enemy attack. But when was there an enemy? He wondered.

Finally, Sasuke looked up and spotted a familiar form out near the edge of the cliff. It was Sakura. He dashed over to her, hoping she could explain what they were doing there.

"Sakura!" He called, expecting his wife to turn and greet him with a smile.

Sakura's head did perk up at the sound of her husband calling. She turned on her heel and faced Sasuke. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the look on her face. It was blank, but not like she was tired or hiding her emotions or had just been snapped out of a trance. It was deathly blank, like there was no life in it.

Sasuke took a step forward, and asked if there was something wrong with her. Sakura made no response. When Sasuke asked again, she took a step backwards towards the edge of the cliff.

"What are you doing?" Sasuke asked. "That's dangerous. You're going to fall. Come over here."

Sakura locked eyes with Sasuke, and seemed to finally realize that he was there. A saddened look crossed her face as she gazed at him.

"Sasuke," Sakura proclaimed.

"Yes, Sakura, it's me." Sasuke responded. He held out a hand. "Come over here."

"Sasuke," Sakura repeated, and then held her arms out, "I love you."

Then she did the unbelievable. She fell back over the edge. Sasuke cried out for her, and rushed forward. But as he ran forward, darkness consumed the whole scene, and Sasuke felt himself dropping. He reached out, still calling Sakura's name out into the darkness. Her face flashed before him, and he reached out farther, but she disappeared.

"_Sakura_!"

Sasuke jolted awake, panting. He sat up and tried to catch his breath. He shivered as he realized he was covered in a cold sweat, and then he looked to the side. Sakura lay next to him, still off in a peaceful slumber.

Sasuke stared down at her as moonlight spilled in from the window and over her form. He ran a hand through his hair and let out a big sigh.

"_It was just a dream." _He told himself. _"Just a dream. Just a _really_ bad dream. Nothing like that would ever happen." _

Sasuke got up momentarily after that and went to the bathroom to wash his face, change his clothes, and clear his head.

"_It's probably just the changes." _He thought. _"A new house…new environment…the start of a new life. It's stress." _He stepped back out into the room and immediately noticed Sakura sitting up in bed.

She looked at him with concern. "Are you alright?"

Sasuke stared at her for a moment, and then nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay." He walked back over to the bed and slipped under the covers.

"You sure?" She pressed.

Mentally, Sasuke sighed. _"Of course she would know I'm lying. She knows me too well." _

Sasuke reached over and stroked her cheek. "I'm fine. Don't worry."

Sakura gazed into his eyes for a couple moments, and then decided to just believe him. She reached up and ran her hand over the side of his face. Sasuke felt his muscles relax. Her touch did more for him than he could accomplish alone. He grasped her hand, turned his head, and kissed her palm.

"Let's just get back to sleep." Sasuke suggested.

Sakura continued to gaze at him for a moment more, and then the two laid down. Sakura eventually drifted off to sleep first. Sasuke studied her face for a while, continually assuring himself that what he had experienced had just been a terrible nightmare.

"_She'd never leave me…she loves me. And I love her." _Sasuke could finally feel sleep creeping back over him. _"That won't ever change." _

'"'"'"'"

The next morning, Sakura found herself in the little room Sasuke said she could use as a study doing paperwork.

The sound of the door opening brought her out of her focused trance. She looked up to see Sasuke poke his head in and smirk as he spotted her.

"So this is where you disappeared to." He declared.

"Yeah." Sakura responded. "This place really is perfect for working. It's nice and quiet." Sasuke entered the room fully. "No noise from neighbors, no sounds from pedestrians on the road right in front of us, and I can't even hear you snoring."

"Hey." Sasuke retorted.

Sakura giggled. "You know I'm kidding."

"Better be. I'm pretty sure the neighbors used to complain about snores coming from a female."

"Hey!"

Sasuke chuckled. "Kidding." He walked over to her and affectionately rubbed the top of her head.

Sakura grabbed his hand and laced her fingers with his. "So what's for breakfast?"

"Hold out your other hand and I'll show you."

Sakura's brow rose skeptically, but she held out her other hand regardless. Sasuke suddenly pressed a piece of paper into her hand. She recognized it immediately.

"A call from Lady Tsunade with toast on the side if you hurry to make it. It's for both of us."

Sakura looked at the letter for a moment, sighed, and stood up. "There went my idea of a nice breakfast."

Sasuke smirked, leaned in, and gave her a quick kiss. "Well, maybe we could grab a nice lunch later."

"Doubt it." Sakura replied, examining the letter. "This letter has 'mission' written all over it."

"Then at least we'll get a few days together." Sasuke shrugged. "Let's get going."

'"'"'"'"

"Enter." Tsunade called after Sakura knocked on the door to her office.

Sasuke and Sakura entered the office at Tsunade's command, and the first thing they noticed was that Tsunade was not alone.

"Naruto," Sakura announced, "I guess we're all getting sent on a mission together, huh?"

"Not quite." Tsunade answered for him.

Sakura looked at Tsunade curiously as she and Sasuke lined up next to Naruto in front of Tsunade's desk.

"Okay. I guess I'll get straight down to business." Tsunade began. "Sakura and Naruto, I'm assigning the two of you a mission."

"What about the Teme?" Naruto questioned.

Tsunade flicked her gaze towards Sasuke. "Sasuke also has a mission, different from yours." She looked back towards Sakura and Naruto. "I'll start with you two. I'm assigning you on an A-ranked escort mission."

"More big shots to protect? Fun…." Naruto huffed.

Tsunade ignored his comments. "Your job is to escort the lord of the Land of Bees and his pregnant wife to the Land of Flowers where they wish to have their child. Got it?"

"Sounds easy enough. Sure it's A-ranked?" Naruto asked.

"It's the lord and lady of a land. Of course it would have to be A-ranked." Sakura answered.

"Exactly." Tsunade agreed, and then looked at Sasuke. "As for you, Sasuke, you'll be sent on a much easier mission. It's B-ranked. We need you to deliver some documents to the Sand Village directly to the Kazekage, Gaara. Suigetsu will accompany you."

"Should be easy, even if you're sending someone who takes as many breaks as Suigetsu along." Sasuke commented. "Why not send the Dobe on that?"

"We all know why." Naruto answered for her. "She's gotta send me on all the tougher missions to prove my worth if I'm gonna be Hokage soon!"

"I never said it would be soon." Tsunade corrected. "Do I look like I'm aging to you?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer.

"If you want to _keep_ those chances of being Hokage, you'll keep your mouth shut." Tsunade growled. "Sakura and Naruto, you are dismissed. Sasuke, stay for a moment so I may give you your documents and some extra, confidential information. I already informed Suigetsu of the mission. He'll be waiting at the gates for you in half an hour."

"Right." Sasuke responded, and then turned to Sakura. "Wait for me at home. I'll see you off."

Sakura smiled. "Okay." She leaned up to kiss his cheek and then took off with Naruto. "I'll see you in a bit."

'"'"'"'"

"You're so lucky." Sakura sighed as she and Sasuke stood together in front of their home later that day.

"And why is that? Because I don't have to put up with the Dobe for the next few days?" Sasuke inquired.

"No, and I'm just fine with Naruto. I'm saying you're lucky because you get to go to the Sand Village and see everyone! I haven't been in contact with anyone from there in a while. The only way I've seen Temari lately is if she's over with Shikamaru."

"Tch, why don't those two just get married already?"

"Well, considering Shikamaru's lazy and Temari has the Kazekage for a brother, I'm surprised they're together at all. But anyway…when should you be home?"

"The Sand Village is three days from here taking your time. Considering I have Suigetsu for a partner, it'll probably take those three days. I'd say I won't be gone for more than six or seven days give or take Suigetsu's laziness or any trouble we receive."

"Well don't be too hard on the guy. It's not every day you two get paired up for a mission, and we haven't seen him in a bit. Be nice." Sakura stated. "As for me, I have to get over to the Land of Bees, which is a day and a half away, and then we have to make a careful trek to the Land of Flowers with pregnant royalty. I'll probably be gone for seven to nine days."

"Then I guess I shouldn't be in much of a hurry to get home. Nothing's waiting for me."

Sakura smiled up at him. "Oh, don't worry. I'm sure you'll enjoy having some alone time in our new house. Maybe you can even spruce it up to make it feel even more like our old home."

"Right." Sasuke drawled with a slight sarcasm in his voice.

"Well, we had both better get going." Sakura declared. "Naruto's probably already waiting at the gate for me, and Suigetsu's probably waiting on you."

"After years of waiting on Kakashi, I think the Dobe can wait a couple more minutes. And Suigetsu will be fine waiting for a bit." Sasuke replied, and suddenly reached out to wrap his arms around her waist. He pulled Sakura against him, smirked down at her, and then came in for a kiss. Sakura responded by twining her arms around his neck and bringing herself up closer to his level. This mission would actually be the longest one to separate them since they had gotten married, so they wanted to relish their last couple moments together for a little bit longer.

When they finally parted for air, Sakura put her forehead against his and smiled. "Stay safe."

Sasuke smirked. "You're telling this to me?"

She giggled. "I know. You're the big, bad Uchiha."

"Well now so are you."

Sakura blushed at that, which made Sasuke chuckle. He kissed her briefly, and brought a hand up to caress the side of her face. "And as the new big, bad Uchiha, you'll also be fine. Just come home quickly."

"I'll try my best. Tell Suigetsu I say hi." Sakura beamed, leaning in one more time for a kiss. Finally they let each other go, and then they both left in different directions towards the gates that would take them to the routes they needed.

Sakura waved an arm in farewell to her husband. Sasuke smirked and waved a hand back at her. Sakura turned away contentedly and continued down the trail. Sasuke kept his eyes lingering on her back for a couple moments more.

He couldn't explain why he had such a desire to get one last good look at her before they parted ways, but he quickly forgot about it and went on his way.

'"'"'"'"

Sakura reached the village gates a few minutes later. As predicted, Naruto stood to the side waiting for her. He looked up when she approached, and grinned in greeting. "Hey, Sakura!"

"Hey, Naruto." Sakura responded. "Ready to go?"

"You know it! I was just waiting on you! You're not taking Kakashi's place of being the late one, are you?"

"No. Sasuke and I just took a while to say goodbye." Sakura answered as the two exited the village.

"Oh yeah, I should have figured. The Teme's always so reluctant to leave you alone for even a second."

"Oh, come on. You know that's not true. We won't be seeing each other for at least a week. It's been a while since we've been separated that long. Since a bit before we got married if I remember right."

"Right, right. So he's reluctant and clingy."

"What?"

"Ah, never mind." Naruto grinned. "So, easy mission coming, huh? I think going to the Sand Village is way more exciting than escorting some royal family. I've been wanting to ask Gaara some advice on how it feels to be the ruler of a whole village, considering soon it'll be _me_ everyone will be calling Lord Hokage."

"Well, like Lady Tsunade said, she's not planning on retiring any time soon."

"Awe, come on. She's been Hokage for ten years now! She's gotta retire some time!"

"She's the fifth Hokage since the village got started. They usually have pretty long terms."

"Ah, whatever." Naruto huffed, lacing his hands behind his head. "So did you want to pick up the pace? I'm sure the faster we move the happier the Teme will be that you get home early."

Sakura giggled. "No, that's okay. I think he can wait. It's not like we're going to be gone _that_ long."

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke reached his gate just a couple minutes after Sakura and Naruto left. When he arrived, he found no one there.

"Tch, damn Suigetsu." Sasuke grumbled. "He should have been here already."

"That's not nice to say."

Sasuke whipped around at the voice, and immediately recognized Suigetsu.

His gaze narrowed. "Your fault for being late."

"I wasn't late." Suigetsu retorted. "I got here at the same time you did. It's more efficient if you ask me."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted. He turned towards the gate. "Let's get going."

"Right." Suigetsu agreed, pulling out a water bottle and taking a sip. "Man, why did the Hokage have to send _me_ on a mission to the _desert_?"

"Then you better stop drinking that water if you want it to let you last through the desert." Sasuke responded.

"Dude, you _know_ what I am. I need my water. Besides, you always like driving yourself to near death. I'm sure you'd give me your water."

Sasuke glared at the shark man. "In your dreams. Now let's pick up the pace."

Suigetsu let out a dramatic sigh. "Still acting like you're my boss, huh?"

Sasuke made no response, and sped up his pace.

"Hey, what're you in such a rush for?" Suigetsu asked, only slightly picking up the pace so as not to be left behind.

"No reason." Sasuke answered.

Suigetsu huffed gruffly, but then grinned and caught up with the Uchiha. "Oh yeah, I haven't seen you guys all that much, so how's Sakura been?"

"Same as she was last month at the wedding." Sasuke replied.

"Come on, something's got to have changed in a month."

Sasuke didn't respond for a moment. Then, "We just moved into a new house."

"And you didn't tell me?" Suigetsu inquired. "What if I tried to go to your old apartment and some crazy couple's living there now? That would have been freaky."

"It's only been four days." Sasuke declared. "Most people don't know yet."

"Well then after this you have to show me where you guys live in case I ever need something."

"Why would you ever need something from us?"

"…Well, at least show me where you guys live in case I ever just want to visit! I'd like to actually be able to talk to Sakura again at some time."

Sasuke cringed mentally, the unwanted memory of a few years back when Suigetsu appeared to have developed a little crush on Sakura coming to his mind.

Involuntarily, Sasuke asked, "How've the others been?"

"Who? Oh, right. Well, Juugo and I have been rooming together since Tsunade gave us a place to stay. He's been really relaxed. He hasn't gone into that bloodlust state in years. Of course, because of that risk the Hokage won't send him on any missions, so he's been working like a civilian. As for Karin, heh, last I heard of her she was doing whatever she could just to get some money. She's fallen way into the hole. You know, wasn't she staying at Sakura's place the first few days we got here?"

"She left." Sasuke responded. _"After I almost killed her for trying to kill Sakura." _He thought.

"Yeah, I realized that considering she was trying to get money off in the Land of Waves. Do you know why she left? Not that I really care, though."

"No." Sasuke lied. He decided it was better not to let Suigetsu in on what happened that night almost six years ago.

"Okay. Would Sakura know?"

"No." He lied again. "She told me she just left."

"Right." Suigetsu huffed, taking another sip of his water. "Are we almost there yet?"

"It takes three days to get to the Sand Village from here."

"Three days? I didn't pack enough water for that long!"

"Then you may want to fill up your bottle at a stream before we hit the desert. Not that it would affect me if you got dehydrated in the middle of the desert."

"You are just plain mean." Suigetsu chided. "I don't see what someone as pretty as Sakura sees in someone as cold-hearted as you."

Sasuke made no response to Suigetsu's statement for a moment. Then he mumbled, "You've just never been in love."

"Say what?" Suigetsu asked. "I didn't hear you."

"Never mind." Sasuke replied. "Let's just keep moving."

"Can't we take a break? Just for a couple minutes."

"No. We just started this mission. And we have important documents to deliver. Just suck it up."

Suigetsu huffed, and then reluctantly continued to follow Sasuke. "I'm gonna tell Sakura about this. That you're not nice to me. Wonder what she'll think of you then."

Mentally, Sasuke rolled his eyes. _"He acts as childish as ever. This week is gonna be a pain in the ass." _

**Oh my flippin' god! It is official. Music is magical! It keeps me nice and focused so I can do this! An entire chapter written in less than a day! (Well, it spanned over today and yesterday, but this time yesterday I was still working on chapter fifteen!) And I haven't even posted chapter fifteen yet! This is great! Now time for some happy news for you bloodthirsty fans: we got some action coming up for the next chapter! Then we spiral into the main event of this arc! (Which will be quite a twist, let me warn you.) So anyway, now on to work on the next chapter! Till then readers! **

**And now for more happy news: chapter seventeen will be posted on January 4****th**** in honor of the day I posted the first chapter of "The Turning Leaf!" And at the bottom you will find a link to the picture I'm making right now in honor of TTL. Till then! **


	17. Separation Anxiety

**Chapter Seventeen- Separation Anxiety**

"Oh, be careful dear. Here, let me help you." The lord of the Land of Bees said to his wife.

"Oh, stop." His lady ordered. "I can walk down a few stairs by myself just fine."

"I just want to make sure you two get to the Land of Flowers safely. Are you positive you don't want to have our son here?"

"I'm sure. I'm sure. Come now, stop treating me so delicately."

Sakura and Naruto stood on the side and watched as this spectacle unfolded with suppressed expressions on their faces.

"What a relationship." Naruto murmured. "This is even worse than the Teme and his overprotective-ness of you."

"Well, I can sort of understand it." Sakura murmured back. "He wants to make sure his wife and unborn son are well protected."

"Is that why he's got a whole army following them?"

Sakura glanced behind the couple towards the score of soldiers that stood at attention as the lord helped his wife into a carriage.

"Well, it's probably like when me, Hinata, and Kiba had to escort a princess with some guards. It's just extra protection."

"I thought _we_ were the protection. With that many people, I don't think we'll even need to fight anyone, they'll be too scared to approach us." Naruto sighed. "Guess this really is going to be an easy mission."

"Well then for your sake, let's hope someone's suicidal enough to try to attack us." Sakura stated jokingly. "If anything, I could use an easy mission."

"Okay! To the Land of Flowers!" The lord declared as he finally finished getting his wife into the carriage. His declaration was followed by the cheers of the soldiers.

"Woo." Naruto and Sakura weakly accompanied their cheers.

"Alright then! Let's get going!" Naruto exclaimed. "Everyone follow me!"

"Do you even know the way to the Land of Flowers?" Sakura asked.

"…Everyone follow Sakura!" Naruto restated.

Sakura shook her head. "Typical Naruto." She took a step forward. "Okay, if everyone's ready, let's be on our way!"

The lord nodded his head, and then disappeared into the carriage. The soldiers marched forward until they stood directly behind the carriage. Sakura walked to the front of the pack, and Naruto jumped up and landed on top of the carriage, surprising the driver and probably the lord and his wife.

"Let's go!" Naruto proclaimed, pointing a finger forward.

Sakura sighed at Naruto's antics, but began to walk forward regardless. The whole procession soon followed after her, and their journey officially began.

'"'"'"'"

"God! It's so hot!" Suigetsu complained for about the hundredth time, trying to suck the last of his water out of his water bottle.

"Quit griping." Sasuke huffed exasperatedly. "It'll just dry up your tongue even more."

"Are we almost there yet?" Suigetsu asked.

"We'll be there in a bit."

"That's what you said two hours ago."

"Then we'll be there in a little while."

"What's the difference?"

Sasuke sighed. "Just shut up already."

"I will if you give me some of your water. I really need some."

Sasuke sighed again, and tossed his water bottle behind him. "Fine. Now shut up."

Suigetsu caught the bottle and took a generous swig from it. He puffed gratefully. "That's the stuff!"

Sasuke reached up and rubbed his temples. Suigetsu had been talking, or complaining, almost nonstop for the past few hours. It was beginning to seriously grate on his last nerves.

"_A shark man and a desert. What the _hell_ was Tsunade thinking?" _He thought bitterly.

Sasuke then looked up and almost sighed in relief. "We're almost there."

"That's what you said—"

"I mean seriously." He pointed ahead of them. "I can see the village now."

Suigetsu perked up at that. He stood up straight and squinted to see ahead of them. He quickly felt his newfound enthusiasm die. "That little line _way_ off in the distance? Man! We won't be there till next week!"

"Tomorrow." Sasuke corrected. "This afternoon if you quit complaining and pick up the pace."

"Hm…another night out in this dusty desert or a night in a luxurious Kazekage's quarters? I choose the Kazekage's place. Let's hurry!" He quickened his pace so that he passed Sasuke. He turned at one point and shook Sasuke's water bottle in front of him. "Mind if I keep this? My hurrying comes at a thirsty price."

"Knock yourself out." Sasuke responded dryly.

"Cool!" Suigetsu grinned, and took another drink from it.

"_I swear,"_ Sasuke thought, _"I am going to personally kill him someday. I'd prefer to be on Sakura's mission with the Dobe any day." _

'"'"'"'"

"How much longer until we reach the Land of Flowers?" The lord asked, poking his head out from the carriage.

"Hey Sakura! How much longer?" Naruto asked from his position on top of the carriage.

Sakura turned her head to look at the carriage. "We should be there within a few hours."

"Excellent!" The lord declared. "You hear that, dear? We'll be there very soon."

"That's good." Naruto could hear the wife say. "Could we take a little break? I swear it feels as though I've never used my legs."

"Could that be arranged?" The lord asked Naruto.

"Let's see." Naruto replied. "Hey, Sakura! They want a break!"

Sakura looked back over her shoulder and stopped. "Alright. We'll take a ten minute break."

"Right." Naruto stood up and looked back at the soldiers. "Hey! We're taking a ten minute brea—ack!" Naruto cried as the carriage came to a stop and he lurched backwards. He fell and landed on his back next to the driver, who jumped in surprise.

Naruto grinned and waved a hand. "Uh…hey." He quickly rolled off the carriage as the door opened and the lord came out and began to help his wife out.

Once his wife was out, she stretched her arms into the air happily. "Oh, that feels much better."

"Don't stand for too long." The lord instructed. "Don't want you to strain yourself." He looked down at her bulging belly with concern.

"Oh, I'll be perfectly fine." She retorted. She looked around. "Now, I would quite like to have a chat."

"Ah, what would you like to talk about?" The lord inquired.

"Not with you." She replied, catching her husband by surprise. "Let's see. Ah, there she is. That female ninja."

"Oh…okay." The lord consented, and watched as his wife strolled over to Sakura.

"Good day to you." The lady greeted Sakura.

"Oh, hello, your Highness." Sakura responded. "I hope everything is going well with you."

"As well as carrying around a few extra pounds can be." The lady smiled.

"I figured. Congratulations on your coming child."

"Thank you. So…do you have any children?"

Sakura blushed lightly. "Oh, no. At least…not yet I guess. Though I'm married as of a month ago."

"How nice. Congratulations to you."

"Thank you."

"Is your husband your teammate?" The lady inquired.

Sakura's eyes widened slightly as she saw the lord's wife gesture slightly towards Naruto. "Oh, no. Well, Naruto's not. My husband _is_ one of my teammates, though. He got assigned on a mission of his own, so he's not with us. Naruto's actually engaged right now to one of our friends."

"That's sweet." The lady grinned. "It must be quite a life being a female ninja."

"Oh, well, you know. It has its ups and downs." Sakura shrugged. "You experience more life-or-death situations than you can count."

"I know. I could never imagine myself as a ninja. You must be very brave."

"I wouldn't say that. I mean, I can easily fend for myself, but as it stands sometimes I just play the role of the medic."

"There are medics in the ninja world?"

Sakura visibly perked up as she dove right into the topic of her profession. "Yes. We try to have at least one medical ninja in every group. What we do is instead of using our chakra, the energy we ninjas' possess, to create destructive jutsus, we instead use it to heal injuries like broken bones, torn tendons, bruises, gashes, and the like. Of course, we can still possess destructive abilities. I'm one of the few ninja born with the ability of precise chakra control. My mentor, the Hokage, who also possesses similar abilities, taught me how to use my chakra to power myself up. I can heal your injury to perfection or I can smash straight through a boulder depending on what the situation calls for."

"Impressive." The lord's wife beamed. "Is there anything else that—"

Their conversation was interrupted as Sakura noticed a glint over the lady's shoulder. Suddenly, a kunai whizzed through the air. Sakura grabbed the lady's arm and jerked her to the side. The kunai missed the lady, but Sakura received a slash across her arm. Within an instant, mass chaos erupted.

"Oh no. Oh no. Oh no." The lady gasped, looking down at the blood flowing down Sakura's arm.

"This is nothing." Sakura assured her, and then awed the lord's wife as she put her hand over the wound and began to emanate green healing chakra.

The lord rushed to his wife's side. "Are you alright?" He asked.

"I'm fine." His wife responded as Sakura finished healing her wound.

Sakura whipped her head towards Naruto. "Naruto!"

"I'm already on it!" Naruto announced, throwing a kunai in the direction that the attack came from. The lack of response told him that he missed.

Sakura turned to the lord and lady. "Listen. Get into the carriage, quickly. We're at a disadvantage fighting in the forest like this. There's a clearing up ahead. Get the driver to go towards there. Whoever's attacking is sure to follow."

"You're going to use us as bait?" The lord gasped.

"You'll be safe." Sakura assured them. "I promise. Naruto and I will make sure that nothing harms you. Now go!"

The lord and lady swiftly ran towards the carriage. Sakura kept her eyes trained on them, making sure that they got there safely. They got into the carriage and the lord told the driver where to go through a window in the front. The driver nodded his head and urged the horses powering their carriage forward.

Once the carriage passed her, Sakura followed after it with Naruto and the soldiers, who had no idea what was going on, in tow.

After a couple moments of running, the carriage burst out of the forest and came to a screeching halt just short of the edge of a cliff. Sakura stopped behind it and turned to see Naruto and the soldiers come out to the new area.

Naruto ran up to her. "What are you planning?" He asked.

"Just getting us some open space." Sakura answered. "It'll be easier to protect our clients if we can see the enemy. He has to come out if he wants to do anything to them."

"Got it." Naruto responded. "Good idea." He turned to face the woods.

The two stood there for a moment, their guards up. Finally, there was a rustle in the trees, and a figure jumped down into the clearing. He stood up straight and glared at them. He looked like an average person besides the ninja gear strapped to him.

Sakura reached her hand towards her weapons pouch at her thigh. "Okay, Naruto. Listen. Summon up some clones and charge at him. While he's distracted with them, I'll have the soldiers gather around the carriage. Once they're in place, I'll come help you."

"Please." Naruto scoffed. "As the next Hokage, I'll have him done before the soldiers are even done getting into place."

Sakura rolled her eyes, but smiled at Naruto's confidence. "Well, if you can really do that, it'd be great. Just don't get ahead of yourself."

Naruto grinned. "No need to worry." He raised his hands and formed his hand sign. "Let's do this!" He exclaimed, summoning his clones. He pointed forward. "Charge!"

His clones roared in response, and all of them ran straight at their enemy. Sakura bolted to the side and gave the soldiers' their instructions quickly. They all dashed towards the carriage and formed a wall with their bodies all around it. Once they were in place, Sakura turned her attention to the fight that had begun.

Naruto's clones ran at the enemy, who stood unmoving. The clones leapt with fists and kunai ready, but suddenly, they froze in midair for a moment, and then were blasted backwards. Most of them disappeared before they hit the ground, and those that lasted disappeared as they collided with the ground. The only one that hit the ground and didn't disappear was the real Naruto.

"What just happened?" Sakura questioned aloud, running over to her teammate.

Naruto sat up with a gasp. "Damn!" He cursed, holding his chest. "What the hell was that? It felt like hitting a brick wall, and then flying back from the rebound. Think it almost knocked the wind out of me, too."

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked.

"I'll be fine." Naruto answered, standing up. "I think he's a wind user. At least that's what I can guess considering I use wind chakra, too."

Sakura looked from Naruto to their enemy, who still just stood in place. "I wonder why he's not attacking."

Naruto looked at the enemy and realized he was where he had been before. His brow furrowed. "I don't know. Maybe he's not a hand-to-hand fighter."

"So then he just waits for us to attack and then blows us away." Sakura finished. "But that doesn't make sense. If he was hired to assassinate the lady, he would have to be trained in hand-to-hand, because usually that's what assassination comes down to. There's something wrong here."

"Maybe he's not here to assassinate anyone." Naruto suggested. "What if he just saw us and decided he wanted to fight us."

"I don't think so." Sakura replied. "Before, when he first arrived, the kunai he threw was aimed at the lady, I'm sure of it."

"Then he must be testing us." Naruto made the clone hand sign. "In that case, let's just overwhelm him and beat him quick."

Sakura took a moment, but then nodded. "Sounds like the best plan." Clones surrounded them. "Let's do this."

Naruto's clones roared in unison, and ran towards the enemy.

Sakura grabbed a hold of Naruto's sleeve. "Follow behind the clones. We'll be able to get past that wind if the clones take it for us."

Naruto nodded. "Right." And the two took off after the clones.

The same thing from before happened. The clones jumped to attack the enemy, but were caught in midair, then sent flying backwards. This time, however, as the clones flew back from the rebound, Naruto and Sakura rushed forward, untouched by the man's jutsu.

The enemy's eyes widened in surprise as he realized that Naruto and Sakura had discovered a way around his attack. Then before he could send out another blast, Naruto and Sakura were on him.

Naruto came in from above with a flying roundhouse. The enemy ducked to dodge him, but then Sakura came in from below with her fist. Unable to react fast enough, he took a hard blow to the side of the face, which sent him flying to the side. He skidded across the ground, and before he even came to a stop Naruto and Sakura came with another assault.

Unfortunately for them, the man had just enough time before they reached him to send out another blast of air. Naruto and Sakura gasped as the wall of chakra-powered air slammed into them and sent them flying backwards.

Sakura regained her footing with a flip, and tried to land another hit. The man blocked her attack, then lashed out and punched her in the stomach. It wouldn't have done much damage, but then he packed his wind chakra into it, effectively knocking the wind out of her and sending her flipping through the air. She hit the ground back first and collapsed, gasping for air.

"Sakura!" Naruto called worriedly.

Sakura forced herself up. "I'm okay!" She declared through gasps of breath. "Just…don't let him hit you!"

Naruto turned his attention back to the enemy, who stood in place once again. Naruto summoned his clones and sent them at him once again with him following behind like before.

However, the enemy anticipated such a move. He sent out his blast to defeat the clones, but surprised Naruto by running straight at him. Heeding Sakura's warning, he quickly tried to veer away from the man. He jumped aside as the enemy threw a punch.

As quickly as he could, Naruto then summoned a clone. He grabbed the clone by the arm, and flung him at the enemy. The clone collided with the man, knocking him off his feet. He released a blast of air chakra and destroyed the clone. Naruto jumped through the smoke the clone's defeat created, catching the man off guard. Naruto landed a punch to his chest. The man scrambled to get up, but Naruto grabbed him by his shirt collar and flung him to the side.

Waiting for him was Sakura, who readied a chakra-filled fist. She threw her fist at him, but with a blast of air, he managed to only receive a clip from her attack. Then, before she could recover from her miss, he pulled out a kunai, twisted in midair, and slashed at her throat. Sakura barely moved in time to avoid having her throat slit, and received a slash below her eye. They both then jumped away from each other.

"You okay?" Naruto asked, seeing her cut.

Sakura wiped at the blood that flowed down her cheek. "Just a scratch. Nothing to worry about."

"How do we beat this guy?" Naruto questioned. "We can't just run up to him. He'll blow us away."

Sakura thought for a moment. Then, "I want to try something."

"What?"

"You come at him from the front. I'm going to test that ability of his."

Naruto stared at her for a moment, a curious expression on his face, but then he shook it off and faced the enemy. "Hope your plan works." He summoned a few clones. "One more time!" He and his clones charged at their enemy. Sakura watched him run at their enemy for a moment, and then she disappeared.

Naruto and his clones just about reached the man, and then he did as normal and sent a blast of wind chakra at them, sending all of them flying.

"I knew it!"

The man's eyes widened in surprise. He whipped around to find Sakura standing face-to-face with him.

"Your attack only goes in one direction!" She declared just before she drove her fist into his stomach. He gagged as the power of her punch registered, and then he flew until he came to a skidding halt near the edge of the cliff.

"Woo! Great job, Sakura!" Naruto cheered.

"That's probably why he only stayed in one place." Sakura stated. "If he were to charge forward, it would have been easier for one of us to get around him, and then he wouldn't have been able to stop us if we came from two directions."

Naruto grinned. "So now I guess that's the plan, huh? We attack from two directions, and one of us is gonna get him!"

"No."

Naruto's brow rose in confusion. "No? But you just pointed that out as his weakness!"

"That only worked because I caught him by surprise. Now that he expects it, something like that won't work again. And even if it did, I'm sure he has something up his sleeve to counter that weakness."

Naruto sighed. "Guess you're right. So then what do we do?"

Sakura stared at their enemy for a few moments, her eyes occasionally flickering around them. Her eyes took on a scrutinizing look. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" Naruto asked.

"You'll see. I need a distraction, and I need you to keep him in place."

"Well, he already loves standing in place, but I can give you a distraction no problem." Naruto grinned. "Just tell me when."

Sakura observed the man for a moment more, and then, "Go!"

Naruto ran forward, summoning up his clones as he went. They all charged at the man. Their enemy glared in an exasperated manner at their repetitive form of attack. He readied himself to blast them all away, but kept a careful eye on the surroundings for an additional attack.

The clones were now just about on him. Once they were a little closer than he usually let them get, he sent out his strongest wave of wind chakra, which succeeded in blasting away the clones and Naruto, who had been following only steps behind.

As the clones disappeared and Naruto still flew through the air, Sakura clenched her fist.

"_Now_!"

'"'"'"'"

"Finally home." Sasuke sighed as he stopped in front of the door to his and Sakura's house. "It's about time." He continued to grumble to himself. "One more day with Suigetsu and I just may have lost it." He unlocked the door and walked inside.

As expected, the house was empty. Sasuke went to his and Sakura's room, dropped off his gear, and went back out to the kitchen to grab a late lunch. Once he had a meal prepared, he exited the kitchen and went to their dining table.

He placed down his food, and then a shape caught his eye. He glanced up and spotted a flat, wooden square on the ground. A picture frame. Sasuke walked over to it and picked it up. It was a picture of him and Sakura. He huffed as he realized that the glass frame had broken when it had hit the floor.

Sasuke took the broken frame over to the dining table and worked around the glass to pull out the picture.

"And to make it worse the glass ripped the picture." Sasuke sighed, examining the damage. He noticed how the rip marred Sakura's form in the picture. He couldn't explain why, but he suddenly got an unsettling feeling.

"_I hope Sakura's alright." _He thought. He turned towards the kitchen to find a broom to sweep up the broken glass on the floor. _"Hopefully nothing's happened…." _

**Done! Okay, just to clear things up for anyone who's paying attention who might be confused, here's the timeline that this chapter followed: it was two days after the missions began when we begin the chapter, and five days in when the battle began and Sasuke got home. (If you noticed, he and Suigetsu got to the Sand Village early, and obviously they didn't stay long. So Sasuke's mission only lasted five days. And Sakura, Naruto, and the clients were traveling for a few days already.) I was going to add a scene with Sasuke talking to Gaara…but nothing good came to mind. What I tried to write out was very rough and just disrupted my time flow, so I took it out. Anyway, so now on to happy news: look how long this chapter was! Longer than usual! And next chapter is going to take **_**all**_** of you by surprise. I guarantee it! (And if you say it didn't, you're either screwing with me, you read my mind or notebook, or I just failed at surprising you.) Anyway, so till the next chapter! **

**And now…drum roll…it's the collage picture I created in honor of the one year anniversary of the beginning of "The Turning Leaf!" Hope you all like it! **

**Remove the spaces: http : / / lady-okami-chan. deviantart. com / art / TTL-collage-192205306**


	18. The Impossible Reality

**Chapter Eighteen- The Impossible Reality**

A knock on the door the morning after Sasuke's return from his mission broke through the quietness of the day. Sasuke got up and went to the door tiredly, preparing to wave away any visitors.

When Sasuke opened the door, he was only slightly surprised to find Suigetsu and Juugo standing on the front porch.

"Hey there, Sasuke." Suigetsu greeted him with a toothy grin. "We were just in the area and thought we'd drop by."

Sasuke silently glared at the shark man.

Suigetsu tried to keep up his grin. "You know…to chill out for a bit? Catch up?" With no response from Sasuke, he let out a huff. "Come on, you're not really going to just leave us out here, are you? You wouldn't do that to Juugo, right?"

Sasuke continued to glare at Suigetsu. "It's six thirty in the morning."

"Well, you're up, aren't you?" Suigetsu beamed. "Come on, just let us in! Sakura would be hospitable."

"Don't try to tell me what you think my wife would do." Sasuke grumbled, even though he knew that Suigetsu was right.

"Then I hope some of her kindness has rubbed off on you. Now how about breakfast?"

"…I should kill you right now."

'"'"'"'"

"See, it's not so hard to be friendly, now is it?" Suigetsu chuckled. The three sat in Sasuke's living room.

"I don't think you could call it being friendly considering you pushed your way in." Sasuke mumbled.

"But you didn't try to throw us out." Suigetsu retorted. "Admit it, you _wanted_ some company."

Sasuke glared sharply at his former teammate.

Suigetsu laughed as he slouched farther into the couch and placed his hands behind his head. "I really never would have imagined that the cold and cruel guy who used to lead a band of rouge ninjas would ever be reduced to a social butterfly in just a few years."

Sasuke's glare faltered into a look of suppressed confusion. "What the hell makes you think that?"

"Well, we're here now, aren't we?"

Sasuke sighed exasperatedly, knowing the conversation was going in a loop.

"You have a nice new place, Sasuke." Juugo commented, knowing that tension was brewing and trying to stop it.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted in response.

"Hey, look at that." Suigetsu declared, pointing towards a picture standing on a nearby shelf. It depicted Sasuke and Sakura on their wedding day. Sasuke had his arms around Sakura's waist and he was leaned down to kiss the cheek of his laughing bride.

"What about it?" Sasuke inquired. "Sakura liked it, so she framed it."

"Don't you look all bubbly? You could almost say that there _is_ a happy side to you."

Sasuke's glare intensified. "If you're just here to insult me, I'm going to throw you out."

"Oh, don't get all worked up." Suigetsu sighed dramatically. "So, tell us about yourself."

Sasuke's brow rose. "What?"

"How's it been you married, sour ball of attitude?"

"You're insane."

"No, I'm just more easy-going than you."

Sasuke crossed his arms and looked away. "It's been fine. And I'm pretty sure we went over all of this on the trip to the Sand Village."

"Maybe we did, but we didn't have Juugo!" Suigetsu gestured to their relatively silent companion. "I'm sure he wants to hear all about how your life's been."

Sasuke glanced towards Juugo for a response. He simply shrugged his shoulders.

Sasuke flicked his gaze back towards Suigetsu, who grinned expectantly at him.

Finally, Sasuke huffed and leaned back into his chair. "I don't know what to say. It's just been…life."

"Yeah, _that's_ descriptive. If we had asked you seven years ago you'd have done something like this," Suigetsu cleared his throat, put his hands on his hips, and glared at the wall, "I'm a badass S-ranked criminal who killed his apparently good natured brother before realizing it, and now I want to destroy Konoha in order to avenge his death. Did I mention I'm an egotistical, brooding emo who likes to boss my teammates around? Now shut up, get off your lazy ass, and keep moving, Suigetsu. You piss me off, just like every other living thing on this earth."

Juugo chuckled at Suigetsu's impersonation while Sasuke only glared daggers at him.

"I was not like that."

Suigetsu scoffed loudly. "_Please_! I don't think you could shove that stick that was up your ass farther if you had Karin kick it with her lead foot."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Well I'm definitely not like that now."

"Right, right, now you're all," Suigetsu clasped his hands together and pressed them against the side of his face while we grinned at nothing, "I'm a used-to-be S-ranked criminal who's left his old self behind and replaced some of my cold, stuck up attitude with warm fuzziness. Of course I only ever show that side to my beautiful wife who I love _so, so, so_ _much_! Although she's still much nicer than me, I do have to admit it's rubbing off on me. Like last week we went into this purse store, and I—"

"What the _hell_ are you saying?" Sasuke emphasized every word bitterly, glaring at Suigetsu with a mix of annoyance and confusion. "That is not what I'm like. Your impersonations suck."

"Come on, Sasuke, everyone has to face the truth someday."

Sasuke glared. "Then why don't you face the truth that you're obnoxious as shit?"

"In your point of view. In my point of view I'm like this," Suigetsu crossed his arms and put on a lopsided grin, "I'm a mutant shark man with a tortured past living as a lab rat to Orochimaru, at least until this stuck up guy came along and busted me out. Of course then he worked me like a dog and expected me to get along with the most _horrendous_ and _bitchy_ lady this earth has ever let live. Though now I live a rather peaceful life in Konoha, living with a not-so-bloodthirsty teammate and getting occasional updates from that stuck up guy who just likes to insult me. All-in-all, I'm the cool guy."

Sasuke's brow rose. "I think you have an overly exaggerated version of yourself living in your head, and you _think_ it's you."

"That's what you think."

"That's what I _know_."

"What was it that Naruto likes to call you again?" Suigetsu inquired, looking up as if the answer was on the ceiling. "Oh yeah! Teme! What a fitting nickname. Short, sweet, and highly accurate."

"Get out of my house."

"Now he's shutting us out so he doesn't have to face the truth."

"You're annoying."

"Ohh, anger. This is gonna get spicy."

"You're a freak."

"Now he hopes to hurt my feelings so I'll leave. Nice try, _Teme_!"

Sasuke let out a ragged huff. "_Kill me_."

'"'"'"'"

"Man, I can totally see why Naruto is in love with this stand. It's awesome!" Suigetsu declared through slurps of ramen from Ichiraku.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, still annoyed that Suigetsu had somehow managed to drag him out of his house to eat ramen.

"_I should be at home." _He thought. _"Who knows when Sakura will get back. I want to be there when she gets home." _

"Hey, sour puss," Suigetsu called, pointing his chopsticks at Sasuke's ramen bowl, "if you're not gonna eat that, I will."

Sasuke contemplated it for a moment, but then decided against giving Suigetsu the satisfaction of getting what he wanted. He picked up a pair of chopsticks and slowly ate his food.

Suigetsu huffed, realizing a free meal was now out of his grasp. He ate his noodles in silence for a few minutes.

Juugo, sitting to the far right of them, just smiled lightly at the scene.

"_They're both so different." _Juugo mused as his gaze flicked between Suigetsu who picked up noodles by the wad and Sasuke who ate a few strands at a time. _"But they still manage to get along well enough to hang out. I guess I should consider that good enough." _He shifted his attention to his own bowl.

Neither of them were willing to admit it, but he knew the two would gladly fight and work together, just as two ninja friends always do. They worked together without complaint. They just complained at each other a lot.

Internally Juugo chuckled. He thought Suigetsu was right. Sasuke having someone to love really did help to lighten his mood from how the Uchiha used to behave when they were younger.

'"'"'"'"

"Woo, I'm full!" Suigetsu proclaimed, stretching his arms behind his back and then folding them behind his head. "We should go there more often. Actually, we should have invited Naruto. Oh, wait…he's on that mission with Sakura, huh? Well then we should all go there as a welcome home! What do ya say, Sasuke?"

"You guys can go without me."

"Oh, don't be like that." Suigetsu chided. "I know Sakura would want to come with us, and then she'd ask you to come along and you'd agree like the trained little puppy you are."

"I'm what?" Sasuke cast a small glare Suigetsu's way.

Suigetsu laughed. "Come on, if it was up to you all the time, I think Sakura would have turned into an emo like you! Obviously she's the one in charge."

Sasuke shook his head, deciding to drop the conversation where it was.

"Hey, look, we're home!" Suigetsu exclaimed.

Sasuke glanced up. They stood in front on an apartment.

"Ah, home sweet tiny home." Suigetsu sighed. "I'm telling you, if we had enough money for it, we'd have moved to a better, bigger place. At least there's a pool around back. I guess the Hokage did a little research before she stuffed me and Juugo in this place."

"I like it." Juugo commented.

"Ah, you like this whole village." Suigetsu huffed. "We could stick you in a gutter. So long as you're in the peaceful Leaf Village you'll be just fine."

Juugo chuckled. "I guess you could say that."

"Hm, then again, I think after a few years living in Orochimaru's dank, dark snake holes, any place seems luxurious." Suigetsu began to walk up a flight of stairs, and then halfway up he turned to look back at Sasuke. "You gonna come in?"

"I think I'm just going to head home." Sasuke answered, already turning halfway towards the road to home.

"Come on, don't be like that. We know you like us! At the very least you're enjoying an all guys day."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I can barely contain my enthusiasm."

Suigetsu grinned. "See! I knew it!"

"You're like the Dobe. A pain in the ass."

"And yet according to sources Naruto's your best friend. I'm touched that you think of me as one of your best friends."

Sasuke fully turned to head down the road. "I'm going home."

Suigetsu crossed his arms. "Fine! Be like that! I'll be on the lookout for when Sakura gets home, though. Then we can go out for ramen and I can prove that you've become a cheery guy, at least with Sakura around. Without her, you're just a stick in the mud."

"Good bye." Sasuke declared, not bothering to make a retort to Suigetsu's comment.

Suigetsu stuck his tongue out at Sasuke's retreating back, and then he turned to look at Juugo. "Guess we just have to wait for Sakura and Naruto to get back. I swear, I don't know where we'd be if Sasuke didn't have his precious Sakura. Hell, we might have been stuck still running from Anbu! Gah, what a crappy living."

Juugo shrugged, and Suigetsu turned to continue up the steps towards their apartment. Juugo followed a couple moments later, glancing to the side just in time to see Sasuke's form disappearing down the road.

"_I wonder where we really would be if Sasuke never came back to Konoha." _He mused. _"Well, I think I prefer it here over out in the wild where I could still lose control with my bloodlust." _A smile reached his face. _"I hope Sasuke continues to live a happy life." _

With that thought, he followed Suigetsu up into their home.

'"'"'"'"

The next day Sasuke awoke to still find the space next to him unoccupied by his wife. He sighed. It had now been a week since Sakura had left for her mission. She could be home anywhere from today to the next couple of days. Hopefully today, he thought.

Sasuke got up and made his way over to the bathroom. After a shower, he emerged in his day clothes and proceeded to the kitchen. He made himself a small breakfast, ate it, and then dropped himself onto the couch. He laid out on it, propping his head against the arm of the couch, and grabbed a book off the shelf.

"_It's so quiet." _Sasuke mused as he began to read. _"Way different from how it would be in our old apartment. I almost miss the little noises we always used to hear. Maybe Sakura will get home soon, then it won't seem so ominously silent…." _

Sasuke read the book for a while until he grew bored of it. He dropped it onto a little lamp table behind him and stared up at the ceiling for a few solid minutes.

"_And so starts another day of pure boredom." _Sasuke sighed mentally. _"Another day of doing little things to take up the time, because I have nothing big to do, and no one's around to come by and make a racket besides Suigetsu, but I hope he doesn't come by. And there's no Sakura to pull me out of the house to do things with her. Sigh…can't she just come home already?" _

It was silent for a long time after that. He couldn't quite tell, but he was pretty sure he slipped into a nap for a while. It wasn't until a little while later that anything happened.

A knock at the door broke the peacefully quiet air of the house. With a sigh, Sasuke got up and went to the door, expecting it to be a summon for some reason, or just something random.

Sasuke was surprised, however, when he discovered Naruto standing on the other side of the door, still clad in all of his traveling gear.

Sasuke stepped aside to let him in. "Typically you just barge in here without warning. It's not like you to actually knock on the door."

Naruto didn't reply to Sasuke's comment, a response Sasuke hadn't expected. He followed after Naruto as he dropped his backpack and fell into a chair. Sasuke sat back down on the couch, and turned to face his friend.

Naruto's extreme silence threw Sasuke off. "So how'd the mission go? Where's Sakura? Is she at the hospital?" He questioned the blond rapidly in an attempt to get him talking.

Naruto shook his head as Sasuke drilled him, and then he finally looked up at the Uchiha. "The mission was a success…."

Sasuke stared at Naruto, caught by how glumly he declared the results of a successful mission. "And what about Sakura?" A worried feeling began to rise in his heart.

At the mention of his best friend's wife, Naruto dropped his gaze again. "She…she's not here…."

Sasuke leaned forward, still thrown off by Naruto's gloomy state. "What do you mean by that? Is she staying for a little while longer to help the client with the baby or something?" His worried feeling reached his face. "She wasn't…injured badly…was she?"

It was then that Sasuke finally started to see tears dropping onto Naruto's pants. Naruto raised his head, making the tears run down his face. Sasuke unconsciously clenched the couch, knowing whatever Naruto was about to say wasn't good.

Naruto wiped at his tears. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke…. I…I should have…" He sniffed. "I should have paid closer attention."

Now Sasuke was on his feet and beside Naruto. He looked down at him. "What happened? What happened to Sakura?"

Naruto averted his gaze for a moment, and then forced himself to look Sasuke in the eye. "We were fighting a hired ninja…beside a cliff…. He was strong. We came up with a few ways to get around his attacks, but…we hadn't landed any fatal blows on him. Sakura told me she had a plan, and I trusted her and went with what she wanted me to do with distracting the enemy. I didn't know what she was planning. Then…I watched as she tackled him…right off the side of the cliff. She…I know she had tried to stay on the edge as he went down…I should have tried to grab her or something…but then…the ninja pulled Sakura with him…."

Dead silence filled the room as Sasuke numbly registered what Naruto had told him. Then he started to fire off questions. "Well did you check? How are you sure? There has to be a possibility that—"

"Sasuke," Naruto interjected, his voice rough from his constricting throat and his face a mask of pain, "I couldn't even see down to the bottom…that's how deep it was. There's just…no way that she…"

Sasuke stared at Naruto. His face had gone completely pale as all the blood rushed out of him, leaving him feeling cold. His knees felt weak, and he felt like he couldn't breathe.

It felt impossible to consider that Sakura wasn't coming back. That she wouldn't just walk through the door and hug him as she kissed him hello; that he wouldn't wake up in the morning and see her beside him or smell her making breakfast; that she wouldn't be home to welcome him when he came back from a mission. It felt impossible to even think that she was gone forever. That she was dead. That she had been killed.

But then reality came crashing down on him as he realized that all of those things were never going to happen again. He would never see Sakura again.

Naruto stood up, hoping that he would be able to comfort his friend, but Sasuke quickly turned on his heel to face away from him.

"Sasuke, I'm—" Naruto started to say.

"Just get out of here, Naruto." Sasuke interrupted briskly.

Naruto stared sympathetically at Sasuke's back. "Are you going to be okay?"

Sasuke didn't respond to Naruto's question, but he didn't miss the hand that came up to Sasuke's eye and wiped at it. Naruto felt a stabbing pain in his chest as Sasuke told him to leave again.

Naruto turned, picked up his bag, and went to the door. He cast one last look back at Sasuke, who still stood with his back to him.

"I'm really sorry…Sasuke." He murmured just loud enough for Sasuke to hear before he walked through the door.

Sasuke stood there for a few more moments after Naruto left, and then he grasped at his chest where his heart was as he felt a horrible pain strike through it. "Sakura…" He muttered as he felt something hot and wet travel down both of his cheeks. He began to numbly stumble his way through the house until he reached their bedroom, now just his bedroom.

He walked over to the bed, looked down at the side Sakura slept on, and then fell on to it. He could still smell her scent in the pillow.

The wetness on his cheeks began to trail down onto the pillow as he continued to grasp at his heart.

"Sakura…it hurts…so much."

**BAM! I really got you guys, didn't I? None of you ever considered that this could be possible, huh? Hence the title. Well, I know a lot of you are probably gawking at your computer screens right now just asking yourselves **_**how**_** Okami-chan could write something like this. But alas, you readers will just have to wait, read, and find out my motifs. Sorry. (Kinda. Fwahaha. No, really. Haha.) But if this chapter just gave you an emotional experience, I've done my job in delivering a good story to you guys! (Even if it seems really cruel.) Read and find out my fans, read and find out. Till the next chapter! **


	19. Memories

**Chapter Nineteen- Memories**

"I feel so bad, you know?" Naruto sighed.

"I know." Ino agreed. "But there was nothing you could have done, right?"

"Not that I could think of. I hadn't been expecting it. And even then, I was sort of far away. Even if I had run as fast as I could, I doubt I'd have been able to get to the cliff fast enough to save her…."

"What about Sasuke? How'd he react?"

At that, Naruto looked down ashamedly at the countertop. "He's absolutely crushed. I haven't seen him since I told him the news. I think he's locked himself up in his house."

A sad look crossed Ino's face. "I thought as much. It was so sudden. So unexpected. I mean, we're ninja and all, and there's always that possibility that we won't come home but…it doesn't make it any easier to face."

Naruto nodded. "It hurt seeing him like that. When I told him, he started questioning me frantically, asking if there was any chance she was alive, or if there was something we might have missed. I wish there was, but I had to give it to him straight."

"I wish we could help him somehow."

"Well, I guess for now we'll just have to give him some time. He'll have to move on eventually."

"Yeah, but…I can only imagine the pain Sasuke must be in right now." Ino huffed. "He just lost his wife, and they were barely married. Just over a month ago the two of them had been off on their honeymoon. But now…"

"I know." He responded. "He loved her more than anything…. That's why, when he finally does start to get back on his feet, we have to be there for him to help him recover."

Ino agreed. "Right. So what do you think we can do to help him?"

"I don't know." Naruto looked away with a thoughtful expression. "I guess we'll have to give him a couple days, and after that we can start trying to get him to come out if he hasn't already."

"How long has he known?"

"A few hours. I went right to his house after I got back from the mission. I knew I had to tell him."

"Have you told Lady Tsunade yet?"

At that, Naruto looked down at his lap glumly. "I had to. After I went to Sasuke's place I went to the Hokage's building to report the mission. I didn't really want to face her directly…but she was there…."

"What happened?"

"All she could do was stare at me for a while. I think she thought I was joking at first. I think she tried to convince herself that I was joking, but she knows I wouldn't mess around over something like that. After that she didn't say anything and left." Naruto let out a weak laugh. "She's probably drowning herself in sake as we speak."

Ino averted her gaze to the countertop. "Yeah…." She stared at the wooden surface. The last time she had seen Sakura was a couple days before she left for her mission. She had invited her over to show her their new house. After that she had been working too much to see her until she left. Now she would never see her again. The thought was enough to make her eyes swim with tears. She fought them back.

"And after that," Naruto went on, "I went home, and Hinata ended up coming by."

Ino's brow creased with concern. "Oh…how did she take it?"

"Almost the same as Tsunade. She stared at me in shock for a while. I gave her a hug and she practically collapsed and soon started crying. I spent a bit of time comforting her. That's why it took a while till I came down here." He clenched a fist. "I feel so bad. I of all people had to be the one there. I had to watch her go down. I had to come back here alone to break the news to everyone. I feel so weak…. It never should have happened."

"It was the best you could do."

"No, it wasn't. Sasuke was right. I should have looked. I should have done something to try to get down there. The truth is I was too scared about what I might have found if I did."

Ino gazed sympathetically at him. Understanding what a tough situation he had been put in.

"I think we should do something nice for Sasuke." Ino declared.

"Like what?"

"I dunno. Like…maybe bring him flowers, and have everyone come by and show him that he has all our support. Try to lighten the load he's bearing all on his own."

Naruto thought for a moment. "We could. It might work." Naruto stood up. "I think we should do it tomorrow. I'm gonna go tell a bunch of people we know."

Ino smiled. "I'll pick out the best flowers we have. Have everyone meet here tomorrow at noon."

"Right." Naruto tried to grin, but it didn't come out as cheery as usual. "If we can make it, so can he!"

'"'"'"'"

"Alright, you guys wait here, and we'll go in first." Naruto instructed. "We'll bring him out here."

Muttered responses and nods rippled through the group of friends they had gathered. All of them stood with solemn expressions on their faces, having all been affected by the news of Sakura's death.

Naruto looked at the group for a moment, and then took a last glance at Ino beside him, who nodded encouragingly, before he turned and knocked on the door. Silence fell. He looked back at her, she pointed to the door knob. When he reached down and twisted it, he found the door to be unlocked.

"Well, he must be here." Naruto stated. "Come on."

"Is this such a great idea?" Ino asked, suddenly worried.

"We'll never know unless we try." Naruto answered, entering the house.

The two went through the house, searching for any signs of Sasuke. Finally, they came to a stop in front of the door to Sasuke's room. Hesitantly, Naruto reached out, grasped the handle, and opened the door.

"Sasuke?" He called, poking his head inside. He stopped as he spotted Sasuke laying in bed with his back to him.

Naruto and Ino entered tentatively. Ino clutched the flowers to her body, feeling sudden, nervous anxiety at the tensely silent atmosphere. They watched for a moment, waiting to see if he would turn to see them. When he didn't make a move, they realized why.

"He's asleep." Ino declared.

"I'm no expert, but isn't it bad to try to sleep away your depression?" Naruto commented.

"This is no time for that." Ino chided. "What should we do?"

"Wake him up?" Naruto took a step towards the bed, but Ino grabbed his sleeve.

She shook her head. "Maybe we should just leave for now."

Naruto frowned. "We've already gotten this far. Everyone's out there waiting for him."

"I think we should come back later." Ino restated. "I just have a really bad feeling. Like we're not wanted here right now."

Naruto's brow furrowed, and he looked from Sasuke to Ino. He mentally struggled between the two options of the situation.

Finally, he relented to Ino's uneasy feeling. He gestured for her to leave the flowers on the dresser in such a way that when he woke up he would be able to see them, and then the two left.

Unbeknownst to them, as they exited the Uchiha household, Sasuke let out a long sigh, deactivating his Sharingan and taking down his genjutsu. It was times like those that he was glad Naruto was oblivious to noticing the signs of a genjutsu, and that Ino was too nervous to notice his illusion of him sleeping. He didn't want their company. Not right then.

Sasuke's eyes slowly drifted over to the flowers sitting on the dresser. He felt his heart clench as he noticed tints of pink on some of the flowers. He rolled over, hoping the colors would wilt away soon without water. He clutched at the sheets. It had already been a few days, but the pain still stabbed at him with a fresh enthusiasm as all these things brought back memories of his wife.

He laid there silently as he listened to the sounds of Naruto and Ino leaving the house. Once he was sure that they were long gone, he sat up, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He leaned his head into his hands and propped his elbows against his legs. He stared at the floor for a couple moments before he stood and exited the room.

Sasuke emerged into the kitchen a few moments later, and proceeded to the pantry. He prepared himself a meager amount of food, sat down at the dining table, took a few bites, but then lost his appetite. He pushed the plate away and ran a hand over his face.

His eyes drifted over towards the front door. He stared at it for a minute, as if expecting someone to walk through it at any moment. With a sigh, he folded his arms on the table and put his head down.

Without intending to, Sasuke drifted into sleep.

_Sasuke stood in front of his house. He stared for a moment at its front, and then began to walk towards it. _

_As he almost reached the door he reached out to grasp the handle. However, the door opened before he touched it. He looked up through the doorway and froze. Sakura, looking unusually pale, stood on the other side of the door. _

_For a moment he could only stare, but then she smiled at him, and he surged forward to hold her against him. Instead of wrapping his arms around her waist, Sasuke was surprised as his hands met nothing. He blinked in confusion, and she was gone. His head whipped from side to side in search of her. _

"_Sasuke." He heard her voice call. He turned on his heel to see her behind him. _

"_Sakura," he responded, reaching a hand towards her, "are you…are you really here?" _

_At his question, a saddened look crossed her face. She shook her head. "No."_

_At that, his heart began to hammer painfully in his chest. "But I can see you. Are you…a ghost?" _

_Sakura shook her head. _

"_Then what are you?" He lowered his hand. "Why are you here? Why can't I touch you?"_

_Sakura only continued to shake her head. _

_Sasuke's expression became pleading. "Sakura, answer me…please. It's driving me insane. I can't take this. I can't accept it. I can't accept that you're gone. I can't accept that I've been made to live a suffering life like this. A life where I can only lose those precious to me. Please tell me this is some sick nightmare. Please don't make me have to face the cruel reality that you're…gone."_

"_I wish I could, Sasuke." Sakura declared. "But I can't." _

_Her words made Sasuke feel breathless. He moved towards her. Sakura began to step backwards, fading away. _

"_Sakura," Sasuke called, "please don't go." He sped up. "Don't go. Don't leave me!" _

_Sakura stopped moving, and Sasuke managed to catch her. This time when he reached out, he could feel something. He pulled her against him and pressed his face into her hair. He could almost swear that she was really with him. _

"_Please don't leave." Sasuke murmured, holding her tighter. "You were all I had left. You _are_ all I have left. I can't lose you, too. I couldn't bear it. Sakura…I love you more than anything. You're the only thing left that I love. You can't leave." _

_Sakura did nothing as he spoke. Eventually, she reacted by pressing closer to him. _

"_I know." She whispered. "Just hang on." And then she faded away, leaving Sasuke groping at the air. _

"_Sakura," he proclaimed, searching for any sign of her. "Sakura!"_

Sasuke jolted awake. He sat up, realizing that he had fallen asleep at the dining table.

He glanced to the side out a window, seeing the last rays of the sun shining through it. It was already the late afternoon. He dropped his head into his hands.

"_What kind of dream was that?" _Sasuke wondered. He felt a tingle shiver through his body as he remembered the feelings he got when he had finally been able to hold Sakura.

What he wouldn't give, he thought, for at least one last chance to hold her. To feel the warmth of her body against his and hear her say one last time that she loved him, and that he could say it back to her. That there was something that he could have done in order to prevent what had happened. He felt a craving for her now more than ever.

"_How could I have ever been so stupid?" _He mused. _"To have so carelessly let those days pass me by. I took for granted just how much her presence gave to me. I took for granted that there was a possibility that we could be so untimely separated." _His eyes stung in desire to cry, but they didn't come.

At that thought, a flood of memories came to him. The years that he and Sakura spent at each others' sides with seemingly nothing standing in their way. The dates, the lies they had told their friends in order to have some quality time alone with each other, mornings and nights spent cuddling up next to each other in bed, missions together, being with friends, and going through the ups and downs of everyday life together. For so long it seemed that as long as they were together then everything was right with the world.

_They had been on a mission a couple years ago. It had been him, her, and Naruto. They got into a tussle with a ninja, and he ended up receiving a long slash across his chest when he had taken his eyes off the enemy for a moment to check on Sakura. When the enemy was defeated Sakura rushed to help him. _

"_You should be more careful." She scolded him as she healed his wound. _

"_Hn," he had casually responded. "It didn't really hurt." _

_Sakura shot a tired glare at her boyfriend. "Still. The last thing I want is to lose you." _

Sasuke clenched a fist. The longing ache in his heart intensified at the memory.

_He had just finished a mission. A mission which had taken him away from the Leaf Village for over a month to protect a client during his travels and stay in another land. Now the client was safely back home, and he was anxious to return home after having not seen Sakura for that entire time. The best contact he had had with her was a couple letters they exchanged while he had remained stationary in the land his client was visiting. _

_He arrived at the front door of their apartment with a relived sigh. He reached down, grasped the door handle, and opened the door. He saw no one as he entered the front room, but he knew she was there. He continued on until he reached the door to their room. Without anymore hesitation, he opened the door and immediately laid eyes on his girlfriend. _

"_Sasuke! You're home!" She gasped excitedly as she looked up from a book and saw him. She dropped it onto their bed, bounced up, and practically leapt into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her waist as he caught her and spun her around once before he set her down. _

_Sakura smiled happily up at him for a moment, and then leaned in with him so the two could meet in a kiss. When they parted, Sakura brought a hand up and caressed his cheek. _

"_It's about time." She grinned. "I thought you said you'd be home by last week in your last letter." _

"_It got a little held up." Sasuke answered, leaning in to kiss her once again. "But I'm back now." _

_Sakura's grin widened. "That's right. Welcome home, Sasuke." _

He ran a hand over his face, his eyes scanning the scene before him. It was his house. His alone now. The house he was supposed to share with his wife and had planned to raise a family in. The possibilities for them had been endless, but now there were none.

_She had been sick. She had a bug she more than likely picked up at the hospital she worked at so frequently. She had insisted that she should be moved to the couch in the living room so that Sasuke could take the bed without the worry of catching her cold, but his insistence that she stayed where she was in bed won. _

_He stayed by her side for four days while her body worked to rid itself of the virus she had picked up. He did anything she asked him to, and did whatever he could to help her get better. _

_On the third day of her sickness, Sasuke stayed as close as he could, constantly checking her condition and making sure she was alright. _

_Sakura smiled at him. "You know, it's just a little flu. I'm not dying or anything." _

_Sasuke didn't return her lighthearted smile. "It's been three days now. Are you sure it's not something serious?" His eyes raked over her flu-weakened features. _

"_Sasuke, I'm a medical ninja." She brought the back of her hand up to rest on her forehead. "I can tell you for sure that by my symptoms it's nothing serious. I'll be better in no time." _

_Sasuke frowned. "You keep saying that, but you're not getting better. I can get Tsunade or Shizune or even Ino to—"_

_Sakura reached out and gripped his hand, making him stop talking. He reactively gripped her hand back and met eyes with her. _

"_You don't have anything to worry about." She told him, giving him a sweet smile. "Even if this _was_ something more serious, I'd never let anything take me away from you. That's a promise." _

Sasuke sighed. She had said those words to him, and he had believed it to be true. He wanted it to be true with every fiber of his being. Yet now here he was, while she was gone.

"_So when are we supposed to get there?" Naruto asked. _

"_We'll get there today. Just shut up." Sasuke replied, poking at his breakfast. They were on a mission, and so far they had yet to reach their destination. _

"_Is Sakura still asleep?" Naruto asked, glancing towards the tent they had slept in. _

"_Yeah. Just let her rest." Sasuke responded. _

"_Hey, I'm up." Sakura's voice suddenly announced as she appeared from the tent. "Sorry I slept in. I guess I was more tired than I thought." She walked over to where the two boys sat and dropped herself down next to her boyfriend, who promptly leaned in closer to her so the two could exchange a good morning kiss. _

"_Blehhhh," Naruto stuck his tongue out at the two, "get a room! Don't do that in front of me!" _

"_You have a girlfriend too, Dobe." Sasuke declared. "We never complain when you kiss her." _

"_Yeah, because unlike you guys, we don't get totally into it without any regard for who's around." _

"_Hn," Sasuke grunted, and then he turned, hooked a finger under Sakura's chin, tilted her head up, and kissed her again. Sakura's throat vibrated with a contained giggle at Sasuke's blatant attempt at messing with Naruto, and she kissed him back happily. _

"_Blehhhh," Naruto groaned. "You guys are just gross." _

_The two parted and Sasuke smirked mockingly at Naruto. "You're such a child." _

_Sakura giggled and leaned her head on Sasuke's shoulder as Naruto looked away with an over exaggerated huff. "Oh well. I love you, and I don't mind showing it off to anyone." _

_Sasuke's smirk shifted to a contented one and he draped an arm around her shoulders. "Me too." _

Sasuke came back from his memories and stood up. He went through the house until he reached his room, and then he dropped himself onto the bed.

"_Sakura…I wish you could come back…." _

**Done! Well, I don't quite know what this chapter would evoke from you viewers. Maybe something like "Awwww, poor Sasuke! I feel so bad for him! I wanna cry!" or maybe "Noooo! This was wrong! I want Sakura!" or maybe even "DAMN IT Okami-chan! Why torture us so? Bring Sakura back!" Well, whatever your reaction, I would really love to hear it! I noticed that the last chapter brought in way more reviews than like…any other in such a short amount of time. Hmmm…shocking chapters equals more reviews. Hmmmm, fwahaha. Evil thoughts. (No, I'm kidding…maybe. Muahaha!) Anyways, so tell me what ya think! Till the next chapter! **


	20. Recollection

**Chapter Twenty- Recollection**

Sasuke laid with his back to the door, staring blankly at the empty space beside him that usually would be occupied by him. The smell of Sakura which had been on the pillow and side of the bed he laid on was slowly vanishing. He could only pick it up now if he pressed his face into it. It did him no comfort, though, because he knew soon it'd be gone forever, just like she was.

At that thought, his chest tightened numbly and the corners of his eyes stung to cry, but nothing would come out. He had cried himself out a couple days ago. All of his grieving emotions had faded to a cold numbness.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. The person entered without consent from the Uchiha, and the voice that spoke up immediately told him that it was Naruto who had entered.

"Sasuke," Naruto called, "it's almost been a week. You have to get up and go out some time."

Sasuke said nothing for a while. Then, "I have gotten up."

"Getting up to barely keep yourself alive with a little bit of food doesn't count." Naruto huffed. He frowned sadly and looked down. "I know you're really sad. We all are. But you can't let yourself wither away like this. That wouldn't make anyone happy. …Especially not Sakura."

At the mention of his wife's name, a sudden anger filled him. Naruto had been there when she had fallen to her death. "Get out." He ordered.

"Sasuke, this is serious. Are you just going to let yourself _die_?" Naruto countered.

"_Die…" _the word echoed in his head. _"Die…just like Sakura did." _

His anger got the better of him. He turned his head towards the blond, his Sharingan blazing. "Get_. Out._" He hissed.

Naruto recoiled in surprise, seeing the ferocity overtake his best friend. He immediately realized his first mistake in mentioning Sakura while the subject of her was still a raw wound for him. He quickly backed up, knowing it was a better idea to leave for the time being.

"Just..." Naruto muttered as he turned to leave. "Just don't let yourself slip away."

Once Naruto was gone, Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan, and fell back into his original position. Naruto's words rang in his ears. He clutched at the pillow and pressed his face into it as another wave of emotions hit him.

He knew Naruto was right. He knew he'd eventually have to get up and move on. He knew he couldn't just let himself die because of his grief.

"_Although," _he thought, _"it feels impossible. Not without Sakura by my side."_

A long time passed on in total silence. Sasuke continued to stare blankly at the open space next to him. Naruto's words had stopped ringing in his head, and now he returned to his numb state.

Suddenly, Sasuke heard the sound of footsteps down the hall. The door opened, but the person who entered didn't say anything.

"Get out of here, Naruto." Sasuke croaked, sure that it was him who stood at the door. Nothing happened. Sasuke's temper began to flare again in annoyance at Naruto's persistence. He activated his Sharingan again. He began to turn his head around. "I said—" he froze.

For a moment, all Sasuke did was stare. His Sharingan flickered back to widened, black eyes, but not before it confirmed for him that what he was seeing was real. Sasuke's eyes met with ones that were even more familiar to him than his own. From those eyes, he saw a face, and then a body that was entirely unmistakable.

It was Sakura. She met Sasuke's gaze and smiled tiredly. "Sasuke…." She sighed as a look of relief came over her.

Sasuke continued to stare for another moment, completely caught in shock. But then, once he was positive he wasn't dreaming or it wasn't some sort of trick, he scrambled to get up. His foot caught on the sheets in his hurry, and he momentarily fell to the floor. Sakura's eyes widened slightly in surprise, and then Sasuke pushed himself up from the ground and practically barreled into Sakura to embrace her.

Sasuke held onto Sakura as tightly as he could. He buried his face in her hair, not even noticing that he was saying her name over and over. His feelings of elation consumed him as he took in her familiar presence.

Sakura's eyes closed as she leaned in to Sasuke and hugged him back. A saddened look crossed her face as she realized the shape Sasuke was in. She knew he hugged her with all he had, but he didn't have much, having done nothing the whole time he had known of the news of her "death." She pressed her face into his neck. He felt thinner, too. She could tell he had suffered during her absence, and it made her happiness with reuniting with her husband feel bittersweet.

The two held on to each other for several more moments. When they finally let go of each other, Sasuke's hands came up and caressed her face. The pure joy and relief in his face made Sakura smile and forget about his diminished health.

"You're alive." Sasuke murmured.

Sakura reached a hand up to go over one of his own. She leaned into that hand. "I'm home."

The two held eye contact for a couple more seconds, and then leaned in for a gentle, longing kiss. The moment her lips touched his, it was like his week of torment just melted away. A bursting feeling of euphoria consumed him, and he tried to strengthen his hold on her. With her back with him, it was like his whole world had just been restored in an instant.

When the two pulled away, Sasuke said only one word. "How?"

Sakura ran a soothing hand down his chest. "I'll have to give you the full story in a bit…I need to head to Lady Tsunade's." She smiled softly. "I just had to see you." She rested her head against his chest. "I'm sorry for making you worry so much. I'll be back as soon as I can."

Sakura began to move away from him, but Sasuke reached out and clasped her wrist. Sakura looked surprised, but then he laced his fingers with hers.

"After all of this, do you really think I'm going to let you out of my sight?" He inquired.

Sakura gave him a comprehending look. "Point taken."

He led her down the hall. "The Dobe was just saying I should get out, anyway."

"Oh, that's right. I need to let everyone else know I'm okay."

Sasuke tugged her along. "Maybe we'll see them on the way to Tsunade's."

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke and Sakura walked down the roads of the village, their arms linked and hands twined together. Sasuke couldn't take his eyes off of his wife, and Sakura returned his gaze occasionally with a smile.

As the two walked, several heads turned and stared in disbelief as they spotted the supposedly-dead kunoichi walking with her originally grief-stricken husband. While most stared, some ran to catch up with the couple. Naruto and Hinata, Ino and Kiba, Tenten with her son, Kakashi. Their friends followed, but didn't catch up or stop them to ask questions. They all knew where they were headed, and they all wanted to be there.

Finally, their destination came into sight: the Hokage's building. They all walked in and made their way towards Tsunade's office.

When they reached the door to Tsunade's office, they knocked. The Hokage's familiar command of "enter" rang out from the other side of the door. Sasuke and Sakura looked at each other for a moment, opened the door, and entered. Their friends followed, and soon everyone stood crowded in Tsunade's office.

Tsunade looked up to see who had entered when she heard so many different sets of footsteps. Her eyes trailed up from some papers on the desk, and immediately landed on the couple that stood together in the center of the room.

She could only stare in disbelief for a minute. She blinked several times, trying to register if what she saw before her was real.

"Sakura…." She murmured. "Is that really you?"

Sakura smiled. "Yes, Lady Tsunade. It's really me. I'm alive."

Tsunade stood up. "How? I thought you were dead."

All eyes turned to Sakura, who took on a blank look as the memories of the past week played through her head.

She opened her mouth and began her tale. "During the fight, it was apparent to me that I needed to do something a little unexpected in order to defeat our enemy. When I noticed that he was standing just a few feet off from the cliff side, I had come up with my idea to tackle him. I had planned to let go of him and let him go off the side, but he grabbed me and I went over with him.

"When we went over the edge, I grappled with him as we fell. I managed to knock him out, but the predicament wasn't over. I reached out and tried to grab onto the side of the cliff, but by that time I was falling too fast and I couldn't get a good grip. Just before I reached the bottom, I passed by a branch growing out of the cliff and grabbed on to it. It yanked me to less than a momentary stop, and then it ripped out of the wall. It managed to slow me down enough to try the wall again. I slid down it for a moment, which slowed me down even more, but then I lost my grip and fell until I hit the ground. I lost consciousness on impact.

"I hardly remember when I first regained consciousness. I remember being in pain, and when I tried to sit up I became nauseous and threw up. I had a head injury. I was up just long enough to heal that wound, and then I fell unconscious again. When I woke up again, it was dawn. This time I sat up without becoming nauseous, and I could finally survey my injuries. My most serious injury was that I had landed on my leg, and broke it pretty bad. It took most of my energy to heal that, and after healing my more serious injuries after that, I was too weak to move.

"I rested there for most of the day. A little ways off I could see the enemies' body…. When I finally found the strength to get up, I healed up the rest of my more serious injuries, and then I started walking down the way I knew we had come from. I walked until I couldn't see anymore, but when I stopped I didn't sleep. I couldn't. Once the sun came up I continued on again.

"It took most of that day until I reached the end of the rift. From there I walked on. I was exhausted, starving, thirsty, cold. I was just miserable. I thought I'd have to spend another sleepless night out in the open when I finally saw the lights of a house. I hurried over, and I practically collapsed when they opened the door. Thankfully, though, they were really nice people. They took me in and took care of me for two whole days while I fully recovered.

"On my third day there, I thanked them for their hospitality, and rushed back here." Sakura turned her head to look up at Sasuke with a smile. "It took me all of yesterday, and a part of today, but I made it back home. And that's what happened."

Silence fell in the room as everyone continued to stare at Sakura.

Finally, Naruto let out a laugh. "I think we're gonna have to rethink about who's the toughest member of Team Seven! Sakura…you're just awesome!"

At that, the spell of silence finally broke, and everyone either hugged Sakura to welcome her back, or fired all sorts of questions at her. Sasuke stayed glued to her side, unable to take his eyes off of her, but letting her go so she could hug some of her friends' back.

They were all in there for about ten more minutes, and then everyone trickled out of the office until only Sakura, Sasuke, and Tsunade were left.

Tsunade smiled at her student. "It's good to have you back."

Sakura returned her mentor's smile. "It's good to be back."

Tsunade turned her gaze towards Sasuke. "It's good to see you're back as well. I was beginning to worry whether or not you'd lock yourself up in your house for good."

Sakura squeezed Sasuke's hand, feeling a little wave of guilt come over her at the thought that it was her fault Sasuke had locked himself up for so long.

"I guess it's a good thing we didn't put your name on the KIA stone yet. I'll get right to work making sure that people know you're alive." Tsunade declared. "Good thing, too. I didn't think we were going to be able to find a good replacement for you at the hospital. Which reminds me that you should go there for a full check-up to make sure you don't have any lasting damage done to you from your fall or the exertion you had put yourself under."

Sakura nodded her head. "I understand. I'll get to that as soon as I can." Sasuke tugged on her hand, and she smiled. "I guess we'll be taking our leave."

Tsunade smiled, noticing Sasuke's insistence for them to leave. "Yes. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Lady Tsunade." Sakura called as she and Sasuke left.

'"'"'"'"

"I missed you." Sasuke stated later that day. The two of them had reached home, and now they were cuddled together on their bed.

Sakura pressed her head against his neck. "I know. I had missed you, too. I was constantly thinking about you and wondering how you were doing while I was going. I wanted you to know that I was okay so badly."

"_Just hang on." _The words Sakura has whispered to him in his dream suddenly resurfaced in Sasuke's mind. He tightened his grip around her waist.

"Yeah." Sasuke muttered. "That would have been nice." He felt a small smile tug at his lips at the thought that he had had a dream sent to him to assure him that his wife would return to him.

Then, the memory of a dream before that came to his mind. The one of her falling over the edge of a cliff. She and Naruto's stories hit him, and he realized he had seen what had happened before they even left for their mission.

A slight shiver went through him with the thought that he had received an advanced warning of the two events, but at the same time he felt something akin to happiness that he had become so connected to his wife. Or perhaps, he thought, the messages had been sent to him by someone or something watching over him, like his family.

"Sakura," Sasuke announced, making Sakura tilt her head up slightly in an indication that she was listening.

"Yes?" She asked.

"I love you."

Sakura seemed confused for a moment, but then she smiled and leaned against him. "I love you, too."

"I don't want anything like that to end up coming between us again."

Sakura nodded. "I know. So try not to get yourself killed, huh?" She giggled.

Sasuke chuckled lightly. "So long as you keep the same promise. No more trying to tackle people off the side of cliffs."

"Well it worked, didn't it?"

Sasuke huffed. "Too close of a call for my tastes."

"Don't worry. I won't go trying anything like that again. I promise." She pulled away, smiled sweetly, and leaned in to kiss him.

Sasuke responded by deepening the kiss and pushing her down onto the pillows. He broke the kiss and gazed into her eyes, hovering above her.

"If I had it my way, I'd never send you on dangerous missions…at the very least not without me with you." Sasuke stated.

"Come on, you know I can handle myself." Sakura retorted. "I survived, didn't I?" She twirled a few strands of his hair with her fingers. "If you're still here, I'll never die. I won't let myself."

Her statement made a small, content smile reach his face. He came down and held a kiss for several seconds. When they parted he said, "Then it's a promise."

"Hm?" Sakura hummed curiously.

"So long as the other is still alive, we're not allowed to die." He ran his hand over her cheek. "I won't ever leave you like that."

Sakura smiled. "And I'll never leave you like that, either. It's a promise."

Sasuke came down once more for a kiss, and then dropped himself down next to her. He reached over and pulled her against him, fitting her head under his.

"So I guess tomorrow we'll have to take some time to catch up on things, what with me being 'dead' for a week and you locking yourself up." Sakura proclaimed.

Sasuke seemed to think about it for a moment, and then he pulled her closer. "I think that can wait."

"Till when? Lady Tsunade does want me to go by the hospital for a check-up…."

Sasuke responded by pulling their heads away, and then leaning in to kiss her forehead, then her lips. He smirked as he pulled away. "I think the village can wait. You need to spend some time at home giving your recuperating husband some serious TLC. It's your duty as a medic."

Sakura giggled. "Well how can I say no to such a patient?" She reached down, slipping her hand under his shirt, and rubbed her hand over his side.

Sasuke smirked, bringing their lower bodies closer together, and then moving in for another kiss.

Once they pulled away, Sasuke said, "First treatment procedure: we have a whole week of progress to make up."

Sakura smiled knowingly. "That's right. That should take a bit to accomplish."

"So let's get right to work." He swooped in and pressed his lips to hers forcefully. Sakura responded positively, pulling herself up against him and reaching her hand farther under his shirt and up his back.

Sasuke smirked into their kiss. With her back in his life, he knew things had returned back to their old ways.

And that was exactly how he liked it.

**Ta-dah! See? You people didn't **_**really**_** think I'd ever kill off Sakura, right? This was just to get a new scope on the story. (That and I thought with how things were going, it would make some excellent drama.) Now we all know just how much Sasuke and Sakura love each other. :D Even though we should all already know. This really focused on the effect Sakura's had on Sasuke. With her. Without her. (Yes, that is a little reference to "Knight and Day" to any who would recognize it. Good movie. Haha.) Anyway, so now on we go! Things are gonna get…interesting. (If you thought this arc was something, just you guys wait, I still have quite a few ideas up my sleeves.) So on to the next arc! Till then! **


	21. A Surprising Discovery

**Chapter Twenty-one- A Surprising Discovery**

The sun rose above the walls of the village just past seven that morning. Sakura was already up. She sat on the kitchen counter, idly sipping a warm drink as she listened to the subtle hum of the morning. She leaned back against a cabinet as her legs swung to a silent tune. She felt completely at peace.

The sound of a door closing broke through the calm atmosphere. Sakura felt a small smile tug at her lips as she waited and listened to the sound of footsteps approaching. A moment later, the familiar form of her husband, still dressed in his nightclothes, appeared from around the corner.

"Good morning, Sasuke." Sakura greeted him warmly, and then she took another sip from her cup.

A light smirk reached his face, and he walked over to her. With a slight lift, he joined her in sitting on the counter.

"You're up early." He declared as Sakura offered him a bit of her drink. He accepted it and took a taste.

"I was just up." Sakura responded. "If anything, you're the one who slept in."

"Hn," Sasuke huffed, setting the cup down. "You know I'm not much of an early riser if I don't have to be."

"True." She replied. "I guess I should know that better than anyone."

Sasuke smirked again, leaned in, and gave her a quick kiss. When he pulled away he said, "And good morning to you, too."

Sakura giggled once. "Did you want some breakfast?"

"Sounds good." He answered, pushing himself off the counter. "You making it?"

"You can help." Sakura replied, getting off the counter as well and proceeding to the pantry. "Are you hungry for anything in particular?"

"Not really."

Sakura looked around at their supply for a few moments. She glanced over his shoulder at him. "I might have to make a quick run to the store today. We're missing a few things."

"Okay." He joined her at the pantry.

Sakura looked him up and down for a moment. "How about you go get into some day clothes, I'll make breakfast, and then I'll head out to the store real quick?"

Sasuke contemplated it for a moment, and then nodded in consent. He turned on his heel. "I'll be back in a few minutes then."

She smiled lightly at his back. "Right."

'"'"'"'"

"I'm off to the store. I'll be back in a little bit." Sakura called as she went over to the front door.

"Okay." She heard Sasuke respond from somewhere.

Sakura opened the door and stepped outside, and then she took off down the road.

She was about halfway to the store when Sakura spotted a familiar face.

"Oh, hey Hinata!" She greeted her friend as she saw her exiting a store.

"Hinata turned when she heard her name called. "Oh, hello Sakura."

"What brings you out and about?" Sakura asked.

"I was just out shopping a bit." She answered. "I didn't find anything though." She glanced down towards her empty hands.

Sakura did the same, and her eyes landed on Hinata's engagement ring. She smiled. "So have you and Naruto discussed when the big day is?"

Hinata nodded. "It'll be in a couple months. In October."

"Right in time for Naruto's birthday." Sakura grinned. "What a birthday gift."

Hinata blushed lightly. "I know."

"Well then I guess that means Ino's going to appear on my doorstep any day to drag me out to go dress shopping. Great…."

Hinata giggled lightly at Sakura's sarcastic tone. "I guess so."

"Do you have your wedding dress picked out?"

"Um…my family picked it out."

Sakura's grin faltered. She let out a sigh. "That's right…they've still got a controlling hand on you, huh? I think Naruto mentioned something about the wedding being at the Hyuga mansion."

Hinata nodded. "Yeah. They're organizing the whole thing. Well, almost the whole thing."

"Ino's wormed her way into this marriage planning, too, huh?"

"Yeah, but it's just for things like flowers and outfits. Other than that it's my family."

"That sucks. But once you and Naruto are married shouldn't their custody on you be broken? I can't imagine Naruto would want to go and live in the Hyuga mansion."

"Yes, it should be, since Naruto doesn't want to do that. I'll be leaving the Hyuga household."

"That's gonna be a real life changer, huh?" Sakura inquired. "You've spent your entire life there, and now you'll be moving in with Naruto. You guys aren't gonna cram together in his tiny apartment, are you?"

"I don't know. We haven't gone too far into living arrangements. I don't know if he has anything planned or not."

"Maybe that's why he's been buying less ramen lately. Perhaps he's actually going to go out and get a real house." Sakura declared slightly jokingly.

"Who knows."

Sakura nodded, and then her grin deepened. "So, do you and Naruto have any plans?"

"Uh…what do you mean?"

"I mean, beside pulling you out of the Hyuga house, changing your last name, and possibly having to move in to Naruto's little apartment, have you guys talked about future plans? Like say…a family?"

Hinata's cheeks darkened. "Oh…um…no. At least…not yet I would guess. We haven't had a whole lot of time to talk about it. He's been on a lot of missions lately. He's off on one right now."

"I thought he just got home from one." Sakura proclaimed. "Tsunade's still running him like a dog?"

Hinata nodded. "Yeah…but I think he mentioned that Tsunade said in a bit he can have a break."

Sakura smiled. "Yeah, so he can get married."

Hinata smiled back bashfully.

"Well, good luck with that. You know if you ever need any help, Sasuke and I are always around, even if Sasuke would make some sort of sarcastic retort to having to help Naruto."

Hinata laughed. "I guess. Thank you."

Sakura began to walk past her. She waved. "I'll see you later. I have to get to my own shopping."

"Okay." Hinata waved as well. "Good bye, Sakura."

Sakura sent her a last smile, and then turned to continue down the road.

"_I really can't wait till the two of them are finally married." _She thought. _"I think the freedom will really do Hinata some good, and it'll make Naruto happy." _

'"'"'"'"

After she finished her shopping, Sakura made her way back home. By then it was already past ten in the morning. The streets were alive with people and the sun shone down on the summer day. She casually took her route back home at a leisurely rate.

When Sakura finally came into viewing distance of her house, she immediately knew that something was different. She spotted a figure standing on their doorstep, and they were banging on the door as they said something in a raised voice. Sakura quickened her pace, wondering what could be happening.

As she drew closer, two things became apparent. For one, the person who stood banging on their door was Suigetsu, and two, it was obvious to tell that Sasuke was intentionally not opening the door for him.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. She continued to walk until she stood behind Suigetsu.

"Need some help there?" She asked, making him freeze and whip around at the sound of her voice.

"Whoa! Sakura! I didn't hear you come up!" He grinned. "Hey, you should really do something about your husband's crappy attitude."

She sighed again. "I know. Come on in." She reached into a pocket and pulled out her house key. She walked past him, unlocked the door, and invited him inside.

"You're so much nicer than that Teme." He beamed as he followed Sakura into the house. "Much more hospitable and open. What are you doing with such a sour guy?"

"He's not so bad." Sakura responded as they entered the kitchen. She set down her bags and began to unload them and put the food where it needed to be. "He's actually got a very sweet and gentle side to him."

"Are we talking about the same person?"

"What are you doing in here?" Sasuke's voice suddenly declared from behind.

Suigetsu turned and grinned at Sasuke. He pointed over his shoulder into the kitchen where Sasuke couldn't see Sakura. "Your nice and welcoming wife let me in. Isn't that right, Sakura?"

Sakura appeared from around the corner. "Hey Sasuke." She greeted him. "Come on, there's no reason to be rude. Suigetsu's a good guy."

"See? Someone sees the great guy I am. Unlike someone else I know." Suigetsu proclaimed.

Sasuke glared at the shark man. "Maybe my opinion of you would change if you didn't always try to bust into my house and make such a racket."

"Excuses, excuses." Suigetsu huffed.

"You're a pain in the ass, you know that?"

"You two." Sakura interjected. "Sasuke, why don't you help me unpack everything."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted in response, but proceeded towards the shopping bags anyway and began to help her put everything away.

"So what brings you around, Suigetsu?" Sakura asked.

"And when are you leaving?" Sasuke muttered.

Ignoring him, Suigetsu grinned at Sakura. "I just wanted to drop by because tomorrow I'll be leaving for a mission. I just thought you guys should know."

"Oh, what mission?" Sakura asked curiously.

"And why is this time so different from all the others that you decided you had to tell us?" Sasuke grumbled.

"The Hokage's decided to send me on a solo mission to the Land of Waves. Sounds perfect for me, huh?"

"Yeah, sounds like you'll be right at home working there." Sakura agreed.

"Feel free to stay there."

Sakura cast a scolding look towards her husband. She looked back at Suigetsu. "How long will you be away?"

"Beats me. I'll be monitoring some guy till he finishes some important piece of work or something. Sounds kinda boring if you ask me. It's probably why the Hokage decided she only needed to send one person." He smirked. "Even if I _am_ a one man army."

Sasuke snorted in disbelief.

Suigetsu cast a glare at Sasuke. "I'm really failing to see that 'nice and gentle' side of you Sakura claims that you have. Are you sure you're not brainwashed, Sakura?"

Sakura giggled, and she grasped Sasuke's hand partially in an affectionate way, and partially to hold him down from doing anything to Suigetsu. "I'm sure. He's a very nice guy. He's just…selective on who he shows it to."

"Alright," Suigetsu drawled. "I'll take your word on it." He looked over at a clock. "I guess I should go now. I've gotta do packing and all that stuff."

"Okay." Sakura beamed. "Feel free to drop by whenever you feel like it. The door's open."

"If you're home at least." Suigetsu responded, glancing towards a glaring Sasuke. He grinned again. "Bye Sakura, see ya _Teme_!"

"Don't let the door hit you on the way out." Sasuke declared.

"Yeah, yeah, love you too, jackass." Suigetsu called as he left the kitchen. A couple moments later they heard the door open and close. Then it was silent.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke. "You know you really could be nicer to him. He's a good guy."

"A good pain in the ass." Sasuke responded.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "You can be so impossible sometimes…."

Sasuke smirked and gripped her hand. "Sorry if it's annoying. It's a habit…especially when I think they deserve it."

"What has Suigetsu ever done to you?"

In his mind, Sasuke could hear Suigetsu's voice as he flirted with Sakura when they first met years ago. He knew it sounded childish to hold a grudge against the shark man for things he did years ago, but even now he playfully kept up his antics with complimenting Sakura and insulting him. That was what he meant when he said Suigetsu was a pain.

"_And just now I know he only dropped by to keep doing that." _He thought. _"To tick me off and talk with Sakura." _

"It's a personal thing." He finally answered. "People like me and people like Suigetsu just don't mix well."

Sakura looked about to press, but instead she huffed and let it go, knowing she'd probably never get a straight answer from him about it.

"_That's just how he is sometime." _She mused, and then a little smile appeared on her face. _"I know he still cares, though. I think his relationship with Suigetsu is like his with Naruto. Even if they insult each other, they'll still watch each other's backs when the time is necessary." _

'"'"'"'"

Sakura and Sasuke sat together as they ate lunch. It was now one in the afternoon.

"Hey," Sasuke suddenly announced, gaining Sakura's attention, "I'm gonna be heading out for a bit later today."

Sakura looked at him for a moment, and then nodded. "Okay. What for?"

"Somehow I got roped in to doing some work with Kakashi today. I'm meeting him in a little bit."

"Oh, I see." Sakura replied. She thought for a moment. "Then maybe I'll head out for a bit, too. I'll go see Ino or something."

"Fine." Sasuke agreed. He picked through the last bits of his lunch for a moment, and then stood up with his plate to put it in the kitchen.

Sakura stood up as well, and joined him in the kitchen.

"So what time should you be home?" Sakura asked as they both stood in front of the sink.

"I'll be back before dinner." Sasuke answered. "Some time in the evening I'd guess."

"Okay. Then I guess I can take my time when I go to Ino's."

"You two can just talk together for hours. I may beat you home."

"Not true." Sakura retorted. Sasuke gave her a look, and she glanced away. "Okay, maybe sort of true. But it's not like we do that every time we get together to talk. It's been quick plenty of times."

"If I'm there to encourage you to leave." Sasuke replied.

Sakura huffed. "Yeah, yeah."

The two finished washing off their dishes, and then Sasuke turned to look at a clock.

"Maybe I should head over there now." Sasuke declared. "I actually have to meet Kakashi at his place, so he has no excuse for being late."

"Unless he's not there right now."

"I'd kick his ass if he wasn't."

Sakura giggled. "Well then, I guess you better hurry over in case he decides to take off."

"Right." Sasuke huffed. He walked towards the door. Sakura followed him until they reached the spot where they kept their shoes.

Sasuke took a silent moment to slip his shoes on, and then he stood up to stand in front of Sakura.

"I'll see you later tonight." He stated.

Sakura smiled up at him. "Yep. Whoever gets home first makes dinner, okay?"

"Alright." He answered. He reached a hand up, touched her cheek, leaned in, and the two kissed.

A few seconds later they pulled away. Sakura beamed up at him. "Bye."

Sasuke smirked. "Bye." He pulled his hand away, turned, grasped the door handle, opened it, and stepped out with a last look and wave at his wife.

'"'"'"'"

A little while later, Sakura found herself sitting with Ino at the counter of Yamanaka Flowers.

"Can you believe it's already been a month?" Ino inquired, leaning her elbows on the counter.

"A month since what?" Sakura asked.

"A month since you came back from the dead!"

Sakura rolled her eyes. "I told you, I didn't 'come back from the dead.' I _survived_."

"But everyone thought you had been dead."

"Thinking something happened and something actually happening are two totally different things."

"So then tell me," Ino suddenly grinned slyly, "is what I'm thinking happened after you came back and what actually happened the same?"

"Okay…what are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about that fact that after you gave your story to Lady Tsunade and hung around a little bit to receive welcome homes from everyone, you and Sasuke practically rushed home, and you guys didn't come out till the afternoon of the next day!"

"What are you assuming happened? I mean, besides the fact that I was exhausted and Sasuke was being a little overprotective and wanted me all to himself for a while?"

Ino's grin widened. "I dunno. It's just you two seemed awfully close when you finally did come out."

"And what is that supposed to mean? You're really not making any sense. Why _wouldn't_ we be close? We're married after all."

"That's exactly my point. A lot of people wait for marriage."

"What are you—?" Sakura's voice caught. "_That_ is none of your business." She answered coolly.

"Awe, and why not?"

"Why do you _think_ not? Because it's _private_!"

"Yes, I bet it was."

Sakura's cheeks flushed. "New topic."

"Come onnnn."

"So how's the planning for Naruto and Hinata's wedding coming along?"

Ino's eyes brightened. "Oh! Great! They're so much more cooperative than you and Sasuke were with planning your wedding. And I bet _they'd_ be much more cooperative in this conversation rather than trying to change the subject!"

"Ino, seriously, I—" Sakura suddenly froze, and then let out a low groan as she put a hand over her mouth.

Ino's brow rose. "What's up with you?"

Sakura didn't respond for a moment, and then she pulled her hand away from her mouth. "I just haven't been feeling great lately."

"Getting sick?"

"I don't know." Sakura answered. "I mean, a couple days ago I tried to eat something and I threw up. I thought maybe I caught something from my excursion down in that rift and it hadn't hit me till now, but I threw that idea out. So then I rested for the day, and I felt better. Feels like it's coming back, though."

"Well then what do you think—?" Ino froze. Then, "Uh…Sakura…."

Sakura brow rose at her friend as she continued to stare at her. A moment later, Ino's thought hit her.

She swallowed. "Uh…should I…go?"

"So you're confirming it?"

Sakura's cheeks darkened. "This is no time for that." She stood up. "I'm gonna go."

"Tell me how it goes!" Ino called after her friend.

"You'll be one of the first to know." Sakura responded, but didn't turn to look at her friend.

Sakura left the store and went down the road, her pace slowly quickening.

"_I wonder if she's right…. I wonder if…" _Sakura's thoughts trailed off as she hurried on her way.

'"'"'"'"

The sun had just about reached the horizon of the village walls when Sakura reached home. She took in a deep breath and looked up to see her home, and on the porch she spotted Sasuke, having also just arrived home from his afternoon working with Kakashi.

Sasuke could sense when she reached him, and he turned to greet her. Once he turned, though, Sakura ran forward and threw her arms around him. Sasuke was surprised, but hugged her back.

"What brought this on?" Sasuke questioned as Sakura pulled away to look at him, their arms still around each other.

"I just got done discovering something." Sakura responded.

Sasuke appeared curious. "And what would that be?"

She didn't answer for a moment. She simply stared at Sasuke's face, taking in his features like it was the last time she would.

"Something's happened." She declared.

"Well, what is it?"

She took another moment to just look at him. She smiled up at him happily and caressed his cheek with her hand.

"I think you're going to make a great father."

Sasuke didn't seem to understand her words at first, and then his eyes widened in realization. "You mean…?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes." Her smile broadened. "I'm pregnant."

**And now we plunge into the next arc of our story! The Sakura's Pregnancy arc! I have quite a thing in store for you guys in the second act of this arc. (Only spoiler I'm giving. And yes, there are two acts to this arc. I've got nine months to fill here! And a loooot can happen in nine months.) First act of this arc will be kinda mellow; featuring events like Sakura's getting rounder and the NaruHina wedding! Then we ramp up to the second arc where an interesting mission awaits. Anyway, I've said too much at this point. So…on to the next arc! Till the next chapter peoples! **


	22. A Family to Look Forward To

**Chapter Twenty-two- A Family to Look Forward To**

Sakura woke up the next morning with her face in her husband's chest and his arms around her. When she shifted to get up, she suddenly found the grip around her tightened. A second later Sasuke brought his head down to look at her.

Sakura smiled. "Good morning."

Sasuke leaned in and kissed her forehead. "Good morning."

"How long have you been up?"

"Hm…a while." He smirked. "I just didn't want to get up or risk waking you up."

Sakura's smile broadened, and she stretched her neck up to give her husband a light kiss. "Aren't you sweet?"

"Well, in a few months time I'll officially have to take up my role as the fatherly protector of the family. But first I have to make sure my family comes safely."

A light blush reached Sakura's cheeks. "Well, I don't think anything dangerous will befall me sleeping in my own house."

"I wouldn't count on that either, but don't jinx yourself." Sasuke replied. "I'll protect you and our coming family no matter what, though."

Sakura gazed tenderly at her husband, and then shifted in an attempt to get up, but Sasuke wouldn't release his grip.

She looked at him now in confusion. "You don't intend to lie around in bed all day, do you?"

"No," he responded quickly, and then Sakura felt as he trailed his hand up her back, "but who said we had to get up right now?"

Sakura gave him a lopsided smile. "Then when exactly to you think we should get out of bed?"

"Once we're finished, of course." Sasuke responded to her lopsided smile with one of his own. "Nothing's rushing us through the day, so I say we can take our sweet time."

Sakura sighed, and then her smile returned. "Whatever you want."

"Do you really want to offer that to me?"

She giggled. "I trust you not to abuse your power."

Sasuke chuckled, rolled so his upper half hovered over hers, and kissed her briefly. "I wouldn't worry about that."

'"'"'"'"

A while later Sakura prepared breakfast for the two of them merrily, humming a nice tune to herself as she made their meal. She paused occasionally to listen for the sounds of the shower running to tell her if Sasuke would be coming soon. When she finally did hear the shower cease, she slightly quickened her pace to finish making their breakfast.

She had just finished plating when she heard Sasuke leave their room and make his way towards the kitchen. She didn't turn to greet him as he entered, as she expected him to speak up.

Instead, she received a shock as Sasuke came up behind her, wrapped one arm around her, and slipped his other hand under her shirt to meet her waist. However, she didn't expect his hand to be cold and wet, and it sent a thrilling chill through her body.

"Sasuke!" She squealed as she turned to see his smirking face. She tried to give him an accusing glare, but one look at her husband's face and she couldn't manage it. "Why is your hand wet?"

Sasuke held up the hand that he had touched to her side, and ran it through his hair once. She noticed then that his hair was still damp from his time in the shower.

She frowned slightly. "Couldn't miss an opportunity to mess with me, huh?"

He chuckled. "Sorry, it's just I haven't seen you like that in a while. That look of surprise on your face, and that pitch you always use when you try to scold me." He smirked. "It's cute."

Sakura's cheeks darkened. "Well, if you're done inducing my 'cuteness,' breakfast is ready."

Sasuke's smirk broadened. "Great." He moved past her, picked up their plates, and turned back to her. He inclined toward the dining room with his head. "After you."

Sakura smiled. "Why thank you." She turned and went over to the dining room with Sasuke on her heels.

As they reached the table Sasuke moved ahead of her, placed their food down in front of their chairs, and courteously slid Sakura's chair out for her.

Sakura's smile broadened and she took her seat. "Aren't you being a gentleman this morning? Well, after your antics."

He smirked lightly at her as he took his own seat. "Don't you like it?"

She beamed sweetly. "Actually, I do."

His smirk almost morphed into a smile as he continued to gaze at her, and then the two turned their attention towards their meal. "Looks good." Sasuke proclaimed.

"I'm glad you think so." Sakura replied as she picked up a fork.

The two ate in companionable silence for a while, until Sakura finally spoke up.

"I can't believe that just twenty-four hours ago I was none the wiser that I'm now carrying the beginnings of our family." She mused.

Sasuke smiled lightly. "Yeah, though considering everything that happened, you'd have thought it would have been obvious."

Sakura blushed. "I know…sometimes you just forget, though, right?"

"I guess." He responded, picking through the last of his breakfast.

"So what do we have to do today?" Sakura inquired.

Sasuke shrugged. "I don't know. There are no missions, no chores that need to be done today, seems we have a free day."

"Hmmm," Sakura hummed, leaning against the table. "I wonder what we should do, then."

He smirked at her. "Whatever we want."

"Well, obviously." She replied, not noticing the slight inclination in Sasuke's voice, or not bothering to voice it.

Sasuke thought for a moment, stood up with his plate, and looked down at his wife. "How about we go take a walk?" He suggested.

Sakura looked up at him for a moment, and then stood as well with her own plate and a smile on her face. "Sounds good to me."

The two went over to the kitchen sink, washed off their dishes, and a couple minutes later they left their house and set off on a path hand-in-hand.

They walked for a while in comfortable silence until Sasuke began to speak.

"So has Lady Tsunade told you anything yet?" He inquired.

Sakura took a couple moments to finally understand that he was talking about her being pregnant, and she shook her head. "No, when I went to the hospital yesterday she just did a test and it came up positive. She didn't say much about it, though. I left pretty soon afterward."

"Ah," he responded. "So I'm assuming quite a few people probably already know by now."

"Well, Lady Tsunade obviously does, and it was Ino who had made the guess that I was pregnant, so since she knows, yeah, I guess you're right. Plenty of people probably know by now."

Sasuke nodded in understanding, and it was silent for a while.

Suddenly, a thought hit Sakura, and she began to tug on her husbands' hand. Sasuke looked towards her in confusions.

"There's somewhere we need to go." Sakura declared.

Sasuke looked down at her curiously. "Where?"

She continued to urge him to follow her off the path they had been taking. "There are a couple people we need to tell this news to personally. I'm pretty sure they don't know right now."

He didn't seem to get it at first, but a moment later he understood Sakura's thoughts, and he smirked as he allowed her to continue pulling him along.

'"'"'"'"

Knock, knock!

A couple seconds later, the door opened and a face peered out at the visitors.

The door opened wider and a big grin reached the face of the homeowner. "Well if it isn't my daughter and favorite son-in-law!"

"Mom, Sasuke is your _only_ son-in-law…." Sakura responded in greeting.

"No wonder he's my favorite. There's no competition!"

"Unless I have a married sister you never told me about."

Sakura's mother shook her head, and then stepped aside. "Why don't you two come in? Are you hungry? I could prepare some lunch for us all. Let me go get your father."

"Your mom seems very fast-paced today." Sasuke murmured into his wife's ear as they entered the house and watched Sakura's mother hurry up the stairs.

"I noticed. She must be in a pretty good mood today. Wonder what Dad did…or didn't do."

Sasuke chuckled as they reached a couch and seated themselves. Sakura's parents appeared from upstairs a moment later.

"Hello there." Sakura's father greeted them, making his way over to his own seat. "What brings you two by so unannounced?"

"Should I go make some food right now?" Sakura's mother inquired.

"No, that's okay. Come sit down with us." Sakura answered, and then looked towards both of her parents as they seated themselves across from them. "We decided to drop by to talk a little bit."

"That was thoughtful." Sakura's mother beamed. "I don't think we've had a good chance to talk to you two in a while."

"Yeah, last time you two came by here, you were announcing that you were going to get married." Her father declared.

"No, they were around after that, too." Her mother corrected. "They came by to tell us they had moved into a new house, and then when Sakura came back after that awful mission last month they came by so she could tell us she was okay."

"Oh, right. The point though is that it's always something big whenever the two of you drop by."

Sakura looked up at Sasuke at that. He returned her look, and flicked his eyes towards her parents. She smiled up at him, and then turned her gaze towards her parents, who didn't seem to understand the silent conversation the two had just shared.

"Well…there _is_ something new for us to announce to you guys."

"See? I nailed it." Her father proclaimed.

"Hush." Her mother instructed, and then looked back at Sakura. "What is it? Did something happen?"

"Well…yeah, you could definitely say that." Sakura replied. She looked up at Sasuke again, who nodded encouragement to her.

"This ought to be good." Her father leaned forward.

"Right, well, how do I put this?" She glanced one more time up at Sasuke, and then looked directly at her parents. "You guys are going to be grandparents in a few months."

Silence fell as Sakura's parents stared at the couple before them. It seemed to take a minute before what the two had just revealed to them finally sunk in.

Sakura's mother practically leapt out of her seat. "Oh! Me! A grandmother! Already? I feel so old now! My little girl is all grown up and having kids of her own now! I can't believe it!"

Sakura blushed at her mother's enthusiasm. "We just found out yesterday." She muttered, though she wasn't sure her mother heard her.

Sakura's mother came up to the two and gave her daughter a hug. When she pulled away she said, "You know you can always come to us for parental advice! It feels like only yesterday I was changing your diapers, Sakura!"

"Mom!" Sakura flushed, embarrassed.

"Let me tell ya," Sakura's father chimed in, "if your child's anything like her, the house will smell till they're potty trained."

"Dad!"

Sasuke chuckled inwardly. "I think I'm prepared for that. Our teammate already smells. Years having to share a tent with him has me immune to stuff like that."

Her father laughed. "Right, right. Then all I can say is…thank you for waiting till _after_ marriage for this."

"Uh…no problem." He glanced briefly towards Sakura and her mother who chatted together.

Sakura's father kept his eyes trained on his son-in-law. "So, are you prepared to be a parent?"

His eyes flicked down this time to Sakura's stomach. Right now, there were no outside clues to reveal that she was pregnant, but he knew in a couple months time it would be noticeable.

"I don't know." Sasuke answered truthfully. "I'd say if Sakura's ready, though, I'm prepared to face it."

Her father nodded in understanding. His eyes turned towards his wife and daughter. "Well then, good luck to you both."

'"'"'"'"

After that day, things continued on as normal for a month. For the time being Sakura was still sent on regular missions, but they had little to no degree of risk to them. Tsunade told her that as soon as the baby really started to develop she'd be restricted to work solely inside the Leaf Village, which would gradually decrease until her maternity leave kicked in months later.

Sakura humbly accepted Tsunade's orders, which, he'd never openly reveal, pleased Sasuke greatly. The last thing he wanted was anything happening to his wife or coming child.

One day, the couple found themselves at home once again with nothing major to attend to for the day, until eventually Sasuke made an announcement as the two stood in the kitchen after having cleaned up after lunch.

"Hey, I gotta head over to the Dobe's for a while." Sasuke declared, turning to face his wife.

"Oh, what's up? You two gonna hang out?" Sakura asked curiously as she also turned to face him.

He snorted. "No idea. He just sent me a message saying I had to get over to his place." He sighed. "If he starts babbling on about some dumb subject I swear I'll beat the crap out of him."

Sakura rolled her eyes and grasped her husband's hand affectionately for a moment. "Well, don't be too hard on him. He's only a month away from his wedding. Last thing he needs is to have bandages poking out from his tuxedo."

"Then I hope he's realized that and won't make any stupid moves that'll get him beat to a pulp."

Sakura shook her head. "Well, just try to enjoy yourself or something. I'm sure he just wants to have some quality time with his best man."

Sasuke scoffed, but then gripped his wife's hand back, leaned over, and gave her a quick kiss. "I'll be back before dinner; I'll make sure of that."

"Okay." She replied as the two started to head towards the door. "See you later."

"Bye." He called as he exited their home.

'"'"'"'"

When Sasuke returned home later that day, it was just an hour before their usual dinner time. Probably right on time, he thought, to help Sakura make dinner.

He entered the house silently, and immediately he could sense Sakura in the kitchen. He made his way over to the kitchen and found Sakura with her back to him over the sink. A smirk reached his face as he realized she probably hadn't noticed him come home.

He came up behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her. He put his head down next to hers and rubbed a hand over her stomach, feeling the slightest of roundness beginning to form on her abdomen.

"And how are you, Momma?" He asked and then turned his head to kiss her cheek.

Sakura smiled at the name and giggled as his lips touched her cheek. She leaned in to him. "I feel great, Papa. How are you?"

"Good now." He replied, pressing his cheek against her hair. The two swayed in place together, reveling in the warmth each gave to the other.

"So how was it with Naruto?" Sakura asked curiously.

He snorted. "In one word: annoying."

"You say that all the time."

"Fine, a _new_ sort of annoying."

"What did he do?"

"What do you think? He started rambling on giving me 'advice' like he thought he was some wise-ass man who's already been through everything."

She giggled. "That's Naruto for ya. Trying to be helpful."

"And failing at it."

"Well what exactly did he say?"

"Crap like 'you have to know how to be nice to your kids' and 'you have to be able to help out.' It was a bunch of bull he probably doesn't even know about."

Sakura shook her head at this, turned in his grasp, wrapped her arms around his neck, and looked up at him with a small smile.

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about." Sakura beamed. "You already are nice, you're just selective about who sees it, and I'm sure our child will be one of the people who will get to see that side of you. And Naruto's crazy if he thinks you wouldn't help out! You're always more than willing to be of assistance."

Sasuke smirked down at her. "I know. It's just the Dobe is set on his image of me as some cold, emotionless guy."

"You know that's not true." Sasuke looked at her disbelievingly. "Well, he likes to tease you about being in love with me, right? Love is an emotion. He complains about your temper with him sometimes. Anger is an emotion. If anything, your only problem is you're antisocial."

"Hey." Sakura gave him a look. He glanced away. "I just don't like talking with dumb people."

Sakura laughed. "Then you must think everyone's dumb."

"No." He retorted, tightening his grip around her. "I don't think you are. In fact, I think you're smarter than me."

Sakura blushed lightly and smiled up at him. "Well, I'm glad I'm at such a high standing with you."

"You think you wouldn't be?" He smirked at her. "I wouldn't have married just anyone."

"I'd be surprised if you did."

"Tch, please, there's no one alive who could compete with you."

Sakura's smile broadened. She leaned up and gave him a light kiss. "You're so sweet. How could Naruto think you're cold?"

"Maybe because I don't act this way around him, because I know he'd never let me hear the end of it."

"Maybe." She twirled some of his hair around her finger. "But don't worry about it. I know what you're really like."

Sasuke's smirk deepened and he leaned in to kiss her forehead. "So what's for dinner?"

"Well what do you want?"

"I don't know." He thought for a moment. "And I guess I shouldn't go with what you might want, what with those weird cravings you've had lately."

Sakura giggled. "They're not so weird."

"You told me once to get you honey, ketchup, lettuce, and fish…and you ate it all in one meal!"

Sakura giggled harder. "It's just a part of being pregnant. You get weird cravings, but it tasted good."

"Can't imagine how."

"Fine, then I guess we'll eat different meals for a while."

"Only if what you have in mind is something weird."

Sakura thought for a moment. "Come to think of it, I think right now I could go for something with chocolate, cheese, and ramen noodles."

"That decides it. I'm making my own dinner." Sasuke declared, slightly disturbed by the thought of those ingredients all together.

Sakura laughed and leaned her head against his chest. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Just don't ask me to try your 'creation.'"

"Hey, don't knock it till you've tried it."

"I think I'll pass on this one."

Sakura grinned up at him, let him go, and went towards the pantry. "Well then, now that I have it in my mind, I guess I'll try it out."

Sasuke watched her back as she searched the pantry for what she was looking for. A small smile forced its way onto his face.

"_I guess the comforting thought is that the weirdness should end once the baby's born." _He felt his smile deepen. _"And we'll be parents…. I wonder how adventurous that's going to be. A little baby Uchiha…and Sakura and myself as the parents. That's a family I'm looking forward to having." _

**FINALLY! Done! Gah, what heartburn this was to write! Especially considering it was pretty much a nonsense chapter. But I felt I had to write it for the sake of transition. That and I wanted to put in the scene where Sasuke and Sakura go to tell the news to Sakura's parents. Anyway, but the next chapter will be much better! Why? Because it's time for the NaruHina wedding! I don't have a whole lot written on it, though, so I don't quite know when it will come up, but at least I have more ideas for that than I did for this chapter. So anyway, till the next chapter! Hope you people liked some of the SasuSaku fluff! **


	23. Thoughts of the Future

**Chapter Twenty-three- Thoughts of the Future**

"Look! It still fits perfectly!" Ino beamed.

"Yeah, though it feels sort of tight around my stomach." Sakura responded, looking at herself in a mirror. She was garbed in a lavender dress.

"Well what do you expect?" Ino huffed. "You're three months pregnant. Your stomach _is_ going to get bigger."

"Are you saying I look fat?"

"No, no. Just be glad it still fits for now. Imagine, if Naruto and Hinata had had their wedding a few more months from now, we'd have had to get you a new dress!"

"Yeah, I suppose you're right." She replied, and then turned to Ino as she finished inspecting herself. "Shouldn't Hinata be in here with us getting ready?"

"Do you even need to ask that question?" Ino huffed.

"The Hyuga's." Sakura sighed.

"Exactly." Tenten chimed in. "I'm surprised they let me get ready with you guys when it was Neji and I's wedding."

"Maybe because you weren't actually a part of their family yet." Ino responded. "They _are _about to give up their would-have-been heir to the clan. They're gonna be as controlling over her as they can till she says 'I do' in an hour."

"Oh yeah, so who's gonna be the heir now?" Sakura inquired.

"Her little sister Hanabi." Tenten answered. "It would have been Neji, but you know, main and branch families and all that stuff. It was easier to give it to her, of course now they're probably not gonna let her marry out of the family."

"That's right…." Sakura frowned. "I'm glad I wasn't born into some prestigious clan or something, I can't imagine living a life like that."

"You know, technically you did marry into one." Ino piped up. "Before the whole Uchiha massacre and stuff, the Uchiha clan had been a prestigious clan."

"Oh man, can you imagine what would have happened if Sasuke like…got paired with some 'suitable' girl or something?" Tenten sighed.

"That would never have happened. I don't think they were like that." Sakura retorted.

"Do you know for sure?" Ino asked.

"Look, I'm not going to start contemplating what _could_ have happened." Sakura almost snapped. "Sasuke's _my_ husband and nothing's going to change that."

"True. I bet even if the Uchiha's did try something like that he'd have still gone for you." Ino replied.

"Or try to convince them that you're the most 'suitable' for him." Tenten added.

"Anyway, anyway," Sakura declared, changing the subject, "how much longer till the wedding starts?"

Ino looked around for a clock. "A bit less than an hour."

"Hey, wanna see if we can maybe find Hinata?" Tenten suggested.

"Sure her room won't be surrounded by Hyuga bodyguards?"

"Well, it'll be easier to find that way, but I doubt it."

"Then let's go search for our bride-to-be!" Ino exclaimed, marching for the door. "Coming ladies?"

"You know it!" Tenten answered.

"May as well." Sakura huffed, but followed after the two regardless.

The three girls tip-toed down the back halls of the Hyuga mansion in search of their fourth friend, peeking into room after room in their quest.

"How big is this place?" Ino asked. "Did the mansion eat her or something?"

"It's not _that_ big." Tenten declared.

"This is coming from the girl who got lost four times when she first moved in." Ino hissed in a low tone.

"_Three_ times, thank you very much. And that's only because this place is like a maze. You'd get lost, too."

"And that's why you're leading the way. Which reminds me, shouldn't you already _know_ where they have her, or at least have a pretty good idea?"

"Uhhh," Tenten appeared to think for a moment. "Well, they might have her in her room."

"Then lead the way." Ino ordered.

"Right, it's this way." Tenten took a sharp turn down a corridor, leaving Ino and Sakura scurrying after her.

The three continued down the halls of the Hyuga mansion for a couple more minutes until they arrived at the door of the room Tenten confirmed to be Hinata's.

Tenten knocked a couple times on the door. It took a moment, but finally the door opened and a female Hyuga stood looking up at them.

"Hey there," Tenten greeted her, "is Hinata here?"

"Um…I have orders from Lord Hyuga not to let anyone in right now." The girl answered.

"Come on, we're her maids for the wedding, _and_ we're her best friends, I'm sure he'll make an exception." Tenten negotiated with her.

"Uh…I don't know…."

"Here, why don't you just let us in for a couple moments? We'll be out before you know it, and Lord Hyuga will never know. Got it?"

"Well…maybe just for a moment, but hurry. Lord Hyuga can be back at any time." She answered, stepping aside to let them in.

The three entered the room, and immediately their eyes fell on Hinata dressed in a traditional white dress that tumbled to the floor. Her long hair was styled and pulled up, excluding her short bangs that hung flat above her eyes. She seemed surprised to see them.

"Y-you guys." She stammered. "What are you doing in here?"

"Why we came to see you or course!" Ino proclaimed. "You didn't really think we'd wait till the wedding to see you, did we?"

"U-um…I guess not." She looked between the three of them. "You all look nice."

"And you don't?" Tenten replied. "Look at you all fancy-like. Naruto's gonna be drooling."

Hinata blushed deeply. "Thanks."

"So are you ready to get rid of your tiring name of Hinata Hyuga and finally be able to start introducing yourself as Hinata Uzumaki?" Ino grinned.

"Um…I guess so."

"Are you nervous?" Sakura asked.

Hinata nodded. "B-but I'm really…excited, too."

Sakura smiled. "Good. That's how you should feel."

"Says the girl who thought she was going to throw up she was so freaked out on her wedding day." Ino interjected.

"Shut up, Pig."

"Sorry, Forehead."

Jeez, you guys are almost as bad as Sasuke and Naruto." Tenten commented.

"Oh, trust me, you don't even know how bad it gets between them." Sakura retorted. "You don't live with one of them."

"Because I'm not all that in to younger men." Tenten replied, which made all of the girls laugh.

"Speaking of men," Ino declared, "we'll have to go find them soon. The wedding's starting in about half an hour. Don't want to be late!"

"Yeah, you don't want to be around Uncle-in-law Hiashi when things aren't going according to plan." Tenten stated.

"Oh yeah, he's going to be back soon, isn't he?" Ino looked quickly towards the door as if she expected him to walk in right then.

"Yes. He will be. So…maybe you guys should go." Hinata suggested.

"Alright." Sakura agreed. "See you on the altar."

Hinata blushed. "S-see you."

"Bye, Hinata!" Tenten called as the three girls exited the room. Once they shut the door behind them, they stood together and looked from one to the other.

"Alright, well, let's go and find our men." Ino declared.

"Right, the wedding will be starting soon." Tenten agreed, and then waved a hand. "Well, I'll see you guys later then!"

"See you soon!" Ino responded as Tenten took off in search of Neji. "I guess I better go find Kiba now. You go find your happy little husband."

"Don't say that to his face; he won't talk to you for a month." Sakura giggled.

"Is that any longer than the time he usually goes without talking to me?" Ino huffed, but laughed as well. "You need to work on that man's sociability, I'm telling ya."

"I know, I know, it's a work in progress."

"Very slow work in progress." Ino replied, and then started to walk backwards. "See ya in a few."

"Later." Sakura called as Ino also took off. She then looked around her for a moment before also taking off in search of her husband.

She found Sasuke waiting for her near the doorway they would have to walk through for the wedding which led out to the main courtyard, which was now dressed up to equal a wedding chapel. Sakura could hear people bustling around on the other side of the door, and knew the guests had already arrived.

"Hey there." Sakura greeted her husband.

"Hey." Sasuke responded.

"Well, looks like it's almost time." Sakura declared, glancing over at a clock on the wall. It was fifteen minutes until twelve, fifteen minutes until the wedding would begin.

Sasuke also looked over at the clock, and then he nodded. "Yeah. It's about time."

She giggled. "Do you mean that in a 'soon they'll be married' way or a '_finally_ they'll be married' way?"

"Finally."

She giggled more. "So have you actually been looking forward to their wedding day?"

"No, I'm looking forward to the honeymoon. A few days without Naruto around will be great."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You do realize though that he's going to come by soon after they get back from their honeymoon to start talking about it, right?"

He thought for a moment. "Damn." He muttered.

She leaned against him for a moment and laughed. "See? You're obviously not thinking about them leaving, because you haven't even considered that they'll be coming back." She grinned. "You're happy Naruto's getting married."

Sasuke looked away in denial, but Sakura knew her husband better than anyone. She smiled knowingly up at him.

"Don't worry, Sasuke, I won't tell anyone that you're happy about something." She teased.

"They'd never let me live it down."

"See? You admitted it!"

"Only to you."

She smiled. "And I'll keep it that way. I'm just happy you've actually accepted that Naruto's your best friend after all. I was beginning to worry it was a title we forced on you."

"Hn," he grunted, obviously not fully inclined to respond to her statement.

She giggled lightly and looked towards the clock again. "Just a few more minutes. Ino and everyone should be getting over here soon to line up with us."

"Yeah."

"Have you seen Naruto at all?"

Sasuke sighed at that. "Yeah, I had to put up with a solid ten minute rant of how nervous yet excited he was, and what a pain he thought all the Hyuga's strict rules were, and him nagging me to have everyone go out for ramen after this."

"Sounds like pure Naruto to me."

"Sounds like pure pain in the ass to me."

Sakura shook her head. "It's too much to hold a pleasant conversation with you about Naruto, huh?"

"Did you expect anything less?"

"Well…no."

Sasuke chuckled once, and then it fell silent between them as Ino and everyone else entered the room.

"It's almost time!" Ino declared.

"Glad to see you can still tell time in all of your excitement." Sakura joked.

Ino shot a half glare at her. "If I wasn't in such a good mood, I'd give you an earful."

"Oh, don't worry, I know it's coming later." Sakura replied.

"Alright everyone, time to look professional before the Hyuga's come and start berating us." Tenten announced.

"Yes, ma'am." Ino replied, hooking her arm with a suited up Kiba.

"Feels nice to be on the 'walk around and look pretty' side of the wedding." Sakura sighed. "Hope Hinata's not passed out somewhere with nerves."

"I'm sure she'll be fine." Ino responded. "She's probably forcing herself to stay conscious. I can't imagine what would happen if she passed out right now, especially since she's probably got her father by her side right now."

"True." Sakura replied as the first notes of piano music began to fill the air. "Time to roll."

"Best of luck." Ino grinned. "Don't trip."

"Yeah, that'd be embarrassing." Sakura giggled.

"But entertaining for such a strict wedding." Kiba declared.

Ino slightly elbowed him in the side, and then tilted her head towards the doorway. "You guys are up. Go turn some heads."

"A handsome best man and a bulging Maid of Honor. Oh, I'm sure we'll get plenty of looks." Sakura beamed, looking up at her husband for a moment before she too hooked an arm with him and they turned to face the door.

The two stood in silence for a moment, listening to the music for the cue they had been told to find. Finally a new song began, and both recognized their cue and, reaching out, they pushed the doors opened and squinted for a moment as the light from outside assaulted their eyes before they adjusted, and then they stepped forward into the open.

Sasuke and Sakura paced their way down the aisle, keeping their eyes trained ahead on the sight before them. Naruto stood on a makeshift altar, and in the center stood Lady Tsunade, acting once again as priest. She seemed to feel slightly out of place in the Hyuga estate, but she did her best to hide it as she smiled lightly seeing her former student walking towards her.

Sasuke and Sakura parted as they reached the altar, and they both then took their respective places on either side of where the couple would stand together.

After them came Ino and Kiba, who also strode down the aisle as they had until parting at the altar, and then finally came Tenten and Neji. Once they were also in place, a few other Hyuga members came out and performed their necessary tasks. A brief silence filled the room as everything was finally set.

Then, the familiar notes to "Here Comes the Bride" drifted around them, and all eyes turned to see Hinata, with her father Hiashi beside her, exit the hall and step onto the carpet that marked the aisle.

The two paced down the aisle at an almost leisurely rate. The heads and eyes of the audience turned in time with their pace. Sakura smirked lightly when she realized that most eyes were on Hinata, which didn't exclude a very anxious looking Naruto, but once Hiashi was close enough to really discern his facial expression, he very quickly slipped behind a calmer looking mask. A look, Sakura thought, he probably practiced for hours in front of a mirror just for this day. The thought made her smirk morph into a light, amused smile as Hiashi passed Hinata to Naruto.

Now the couple stood together on their makeshift altar. Both turned to face Lady Tsunade, who beamed at them for a moment before she launched into the same recital she had now done numerous times before.

'"'"'"'"

"Do you, Naruto Uzumaki, take Hinata Hyuga to be your lawfully wedded wife? To love and care for as long as you both shall live?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto stared into Hinata's eyes for a moment before he finally said, "I do."

Tsunade shifted her attention to Hinata. "And do you, Hinata Hyuga, take Naruto Uzumaki to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love and care for as long as you both shall live?"

A contained blush reached Hinata's cheeks before she finally let out her "I do."

Tsunade smiled. "Then by the power vested in me as Hokage of this village, I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss the bride."

The two stared into each other's eyes for a moment, and then Naruto took one of Hinata's cheeks in his hand and tilted her head up so he could lean in and kiss her for the first time as her husband.

The room erupted into applauds, and as the two finally parted, a huge grin reached Naruto's face. He took Hinata's hand, faced the crowd, and took in a breath.

"Woo-hoo! Okay! Ramen time!" He exclaimed. "Teme! Are you with me? Let's go!"

Sakura couldn't help face-palming in embarrassment as she heard Sasuke respond. "Shut up, Dobe."

Neji came up behind the blond and grabbed him by the back of his collar, he hissed something in his ear for a moment, which made a confused look appear on Naruto's face.

"I'm a what?" Naruto asked.

"_Inconsiderate_, that's what you are." Neji growled. "The ceremony isn't over yet."

"But we're married, aren't we?"

"There's stuff to do even after that."

"Just a bunch of boring dancing and eating that weird stuff the Hyuga's brought. What's so exciting about that? Can't we go eat ramen?"

Neji huffed. "You are so hopeless." He inclined his head to the side. "Why don't you go have a word with your new father-in-law before you make an even bigger fool of yourself?"

"Fine! I'll go ask the old man if we can leave to eat ramen. I'll even put up with taking him along if it means I can have some Ichiraku!" He began to march off towards the head of the Hyuga household.

Neji tightened his grip on Naruto's collar and yanked him back towards him. "On second thought, just shut up and dance with Hinata for a while."

"But I'm hungry."

"Deal with it. You can eat later. Just please try to save what's left of everyone's dignity."

"Jeez, you're a real downer, you know that Neji?" Naruto declared, but then sighed. "Whatever, then you're paying!"

"For what?"

"For the ramen of course! We were all going to go out and get some after this! You can handle the bill, right?"

Neji glared at him. "Just go dance with your wife and shut up already."

"Nag, nag, nag. Okay, _cousin_." Naruto retorted before walking over to Hinata and taking off with her.

Neji watched them go for a moment, and then sighed heavily. "What have we let into our family?"

"Don't worry, Neji." Tenten said, coming up behind her husband and grabbing his hand. "With any luck he'll liven up the Hyuga's, I think they could go with a bit less of a strict temperament."

"I guess you're right." He huffed, watching as Naruto danced to some unknown beat that didn't fit the song that was playing at all. He smirked lightly. "Hard to stay mad at someone like him for long."

"Exactly." Tenten replied, and then began to lead him towards where everyone else was dancing. "Come on, let's go shake it up with everyone."

Neji followed her lead, gripping her hand back as they went. "Fine."

'"'

"Ramen at last!" Naruto howled in happiness as he dove into a large bowl of Ichiraku ramen. "I'm gonna eat tons tonight! Those Hyuga's really don't know how to make good food, do they?"

"We've survived perfectly fine on it for years." Neji retorted.

"Can't imagine how." Naruto grumbled in response between mouthfuls. "Hey, old man, might wanna start making another bowl now, I'm gonna be done with this thing in ten seconds flat. Hope you brought plenty of money Neji!"

Teuchi, the now very aged owner of Ichiraku Ramen, laughed. "I'm on it. And it's on me! Congratulations on your wedding Naruto!"

"Thanks!" He replied before taking another large gulp.

"I don't think he should be downing so much ramen wearing a rented tuxedo." Sasuke huffed.

"Don't worry, I think he's fully mastered the skill of not losing any ramen while eating after so many years." Sakura responded.

"Better hope."

Sakura giggled. "So, do you still feel happy about Naruto being married?"

"Well, maybe now he'll come by less because he'll have Hinata around all the time." He answered.

Sakura shook her head. "Then you'll start missing his company and you'll go to 'see how he is.'"

"Tch, yeah right."

"You can't hide anything from me, Sasuke." Sakura grinned.

Sasuke frowned and looked toward the back of the shop.

Sakura's grin broadened. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone about that, either."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, but he smirked as Sakura looked away from him to talk to Tenten.

He glanced to the side to see Naruto already powering through his second large bowl of ramen. Hinata beside him just watched with a smile on her face.

"_Well, now that the Dobe's finally married, maybe he'll settle down a bit with all the attention he'll be giving Hinata." _His smirk broadened. _"And maybe in a few years or so when he starts up a family." _His eyes flickered down to the bump on Sakura's stomach. _"Heh, the future sure looks interesting." _

**I have done it! Chapter 23 finished! And I'm kinda surprised/mad because it took me so little time to write out pretty much this entire chapter. Why couldn't I pull this out before? Insane! But on the upside, chapter 24's been almost done for weeks now. I've only got a little bit more to write on it. (I had another issue with seemingly not being able to write anything for it, but considering how things are going now, maybe I can jump on that.) So I can guarantee it won't take as long as the other times in order to get the next chapter up. So, till the next chapter people! (Which actually now is done, so just a week to wait, readers!) **


	24. Sweet Partings

**Chapter Twenty-four- Sweet Partings**

It had now been four months since Naruto and Hinata's wedding. Sakura was seven months into her pregnancy, and had already been sent on leave by Tsunade so she could prepare herself for her and Sasuke's baby coming in two months.

"I really wish I could help out in some way." Sakura declared.

Sasuke shook his head. "You're fine. You just relax."

"I have two more months to relax." Sakura retorted, her hand now reflexively rubbing over her swollen belly. "And I don't want to leave you to have to do all the work." She looked around the room she and Sasuke stood in. It was partially filled with baby furniture and decorations.

"You know I'm perfectly fine with it." He sent a smirk her way as his eyes flickered between her face and stomach. "Tsunade ordered that you spend these months off relaxing, and I agree with her. Kick back and let me finish up here."

Sakura's brow furrowed, displaying a worried look. "And that's another thing. Lady Tsunade's been sending you on some really difficult missions lately. It's all because of me."

"She's sending me on more difficult missions because they pay more money, and she's sending me on missions that pay more money to make up for the income we're not getting with you not going on any missions."

"I know, and it makes me feel guilty and worried for you. I don't want anything happening to you."

Sasuke stopped what he was doing, walked over to Sakura, and leaned in to give her a kiss. When he pulled away he put a hand on her cheek and smiled lightly.

"My job right now is to do work to bring in money and make your time easier. Your job right now is to relax and prepare yourself to bring a new life into our world." As he said the last part of his statement, his other hand reached over and laid against her round stomach.

Sakura looked into his eyes for a moment, sighed, and gave him a small smile. "I guess you're right. But isn't there something I can do?"

He thought for a moment, and then he took her hand and led her over to a chair. He gestured for her to sit down. She obliged, and Sasuke placed a hand affectionately on the top of her head.

"You can sit here and instruct me on where I should put things. Supervise and design this place how you want it. I'll be your muscle."

Sakura smiled up at him. "Well, at least I'll be helping. That works."

Sasuke ruffled her hair a little, and then turned to continue working on the setup of the room. Sakura watched him with a smile on her face. Her hand rubbed over her stomach, and she looked down at it.

"_Two more months." _She thought. _"And then we'll be the parents of the first Uchiha baby born in years. I can't wait." _

'"'"'"'"

Sakura sat in her study. She was leaned back in her chair reading a book. The house was silent.

Suddenly, the sound of a knock at the door brought her out of the quiet trance of her reading. She put her book down and pushed herself up from her chair. A few moments later she came to the door and opened it. She was greeted by the familiar mask of an Anbu.

"Hello." Sakura greeted the Anbu.

The Anbu bowed his head slightly. "Mrs. Uchiha. Is your husband here?"

"No. He went out a little while ago." She frowned slightly. "Is he being assigned another mission?"

"I was only told to retrieve him." He answered.

"Okay. Well, he should be home soon. I can tell him you came by. Is he supposed to go to Lady Tsunade's?"

"Yes. Thank you, Mrs. Uchiha." The Anbu took off a moment later.

Sakura shut the door, turned, and let out a long sigh.

"_Another dangerous mission…I know it." _She made her way back to her study. _"I just hope this one won't be as bad as some of the others." _

A little while later, the sound of the door opening reached Sakura's ears. She didn't even have time to stand up when Sasuke opened the door to her study and walked in with a quick, "I'm home."

Sakura managed to stand up, and responded to a quick kiss from her husband.

She grasped his hand. "Bad news. Looks like you've got another mission."

"Was a letter sent?"

"No. An Anbu came by looking for you."

"Well if they went through the trouble to send an Anbu member, it must be something important." He gripped her hand back. "I guess I should head right over there. I was hoping I could have spent a bit more time home."

Sakura smiled lightly up at him. "Well then just figure it out and hurry over. I'll be waiting."

Sasuke smirked. "Right." He let go of her hand. "I'll be right back."

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke reached the Hokage's building a little while later. He silently made his way up to Tsunade's office. When he reached her door, he knocked and waited until she responded with an "Enter."

He opened the door and immediately he recognized the Hokage at her desk, and another familiar blond.

"Hey, look who finally showed up." Naruto grinned at his teammate.

"I hadn't been home when the Anbu came by." He responded. "Sakura told me about it. Nothing I could have done."

"That's fine." Tsunade replied, gesturing for him to come stand by Naruto. The two lined up next to each other, and Tsunade surveyed them critically for a moment.

"So are we getting sent on a mission?" Naruto asked.

Tsunade looked towards him. "Yes, in fact you are."

Mentally Sasuke sighed at that news. Another long, hard mission to take him away from his expecting wife. Even if he smiled about it with her earlier, in truth it annoyed him that he was forced to be taken away from his wife for sometimes long periods of time in order to gain money.

"So what? Another VIP escort mission?" Naruto inquired.

"It is." Tsunade answered.

"Great. More boring days escorting snobby royalty or uptight important people." Naruto huffed. "Sounds like _tons_ of fun, eh, Teme?"

"Naruto, I'd watch what you'd say in front of your VIP client." Tsunade instructed.

Naruto waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, I will once they get here."

"Naruto," Tsunade proclaimed, "they're already here."

He blinked. "Huh?" Naruto turned his head from side to side. "Where? The Teme? Can't see why he'd be a VIP escort. Or why he'd leave for some reason in the first place. He could protect himself."

"Dobe," Sasuke announced, already understanding, "it's not me."

"Then who—?" The answer hit him, and he whipped his head towards the Hokage. "Are you serious?"

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. I chose the two of you to be my personal body guards. I have some business to attend to with the Raikage in the Land of Lightning, and it requires that we meet face-to-face. We'll be heading up there and staying there until our business is finished. It could take anywhere from a week to a month."

"A month?" Sasuke involuntarily blurted out, then bit his tongue to keep him from saying more.

Tsunade and Naruto's eyes both turned to him.

"Don't worry, Sasuke," Tsunade announced, "it may take a month, but not two. You'll be home in time to be there for Sakura when she has your child."

"I think what the Teme means is 'what? A _month_? I have to spend a month not getting to be overprotective and mushy with my wife? _How_ will I survive?'"

"Dobe," Sasuke growled threateningly.

"That's enough." Tsunade ordered. "We'll be leaving tomorrow morning, so take the rest of the day to pack and spend some time relaxing. I expect the two of you to be able to protect me."

"Got it! You can count on us, Granny Tsunade!" Naruto beamed, holding out a thumbs-up.

"Hn, it shouldn't be too hard." Sasuke mostly grumbled.

"You two are dismissed." Tsunade waved them away. "I'll see you both bright and early tomorrow at seven."

The two exited the room at her order, and immediately Naruto turned his gaze towards his teammate.

"So this ought to be interesting." He grinned.

Sasuke shrugged. "Just watching over the Hokage. Sounds big, but so long as people don't know she's gone or heading to the Land of Lightning, everything should be fine."

"I wasn't really talking about that. I mean, come on, I'm the future Hokage and you're…you." Sasuke sent Naruto a "what's that supposed to mean?" glare, and Naruto continued. "I mean, didn't the Raikage hate your guts for…what did you do to piss him off again?"

The memory of what Naruto mentioned returned to him. He thought back to many years ago when he did jobs for the Akatsuki, and he had been given the assignment to capture the Hachibi, AKA, the Raikage's brother Killer Bee. Even though they had actually failed in capturing him, when Bee ran off the Raikage had thought they had been successful, and so he resented him for taking his brother.

"He used to." Sasuke stated. "I don't think his grudge against me would really last for all these years, though. His brother still came back."

"Never know. The guy's got a bit of a temper. A couple years ago I had to go on a mission to the Land of Lightning. Truthfully, the guy scares the crap out of me. I really hope he's not Raikage anymore by the time I become Hokage and have to go to some Kage's meeting. I like Bee a lot better."

"I think it'll be fine." Sasuke replied. "Even if he still holds a grudge, it's not like he'll do anything to me."

"Don't jinx yourself, Teme."

"Shut up, Dobe."

'"'"'"'"

"The Land of Lightning?" Sakura gasped.

"Yeah, we're taking the Hokage over there for some sort of business meeting." Sasuke nodded.

"Lady Tsunade? Wow, that's a big mission." She frowned. "I hope nothing bad happens."

"I think so long as people don't know Tsunade's gone or in the Land of Lightning it'll be fine. Even so, I'm sure we could beat anyone who tried to hurt her."

"It's not that I'm worried about." Sakura declared. "I mean, all three of you are really strong. I'm worried about what will happen when the Raikage sees you."

Sasuke gave her a look. "Don't tell me you're thinking the same thing as the Dobe."

"What did Naruto say?"

"He thinks the Raikage still has a grudge against me for trying to capture his brother. I think it should have blown over by now."

"I agree with Naruto."

Sasuke gave her a surprised look. "You agree with the Dobe?"

Sakura grasped his hand and looked up at him with eyes full of concern. "I know the Raikage is a really temperamental guy. I heard he was furious when he found out about the Akatsuki kidnapping his brother. Then when he heard it was you he wanted to kill you. I'm just worried that if he sees you he may remember that and try to do something to you."

Sasuke gripped her hand in return. "There's nothing to worry about. It's been like…eight or nine years since that incident. I've been a loyal ninja for the Leaf Village for over six years. I don't think he'll have any reason to attack me. And even if he does, I can handle myself."

Sakura continued to gaze up at him worriedly. Sasuke eventually reached up, touched her cheek, leaned in, and kissed her quickly.

"I promise." He declared. "If he does still hold a grudge against me, I'll do my best to defuse him. If he doesn't, then things will go smoothly and I'll be looking forward to coming back to you two." His other hand brushed against the material of Sakura's shirt which covered her stomach. "Okay?"

She looked into his eyes for a moment, and then her hand came over his hand that rested on her stomach. "Okay. Just hurry home."

"Of course." He smirked, and then suddenly his eyes widened and he pulled his hand away from Sakura's stomach swiftly. "What the—?"

Sakura laughed. "He just kicked. He knows his daddy is here, and he wants to say hello."

Sasuke stared down at her belly for a moment, and then he chuckled and rubbed a hand over her stomach. "Hello to you, too."

Sakura smiled as he continued to look down at her belly.

"_He's going to make an amazing father. I know it." _

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke woke up at five thirty the next morning. He silently slipped out of bed so as not to wake Sakura, and made his way over to the shower. When he emerged fully dressed twenty minutes later, he then went into the kitchen and fixed himself a good breakfast that he knew would last in his stomach until they would stop to eat on their trek to the Land of Lightning later that day.

He glanced towards a clock as he finished his meal. It was six twenty. He knew he'd have to leave by six forty-five in order to make it to the village gates on time. He put away his dish and crept back into their room to fetch his bag. He brought it out into the kitchen, checked it over to make sure he had packed everything he needed, and then threw it over his shoulder. He looked back at the clock. It was now six thirty-five. He thought now would probably be a good time to leave.

He made his way back into his and Sakura's room. A small smile formed on his face as he saw Sakura still sleeping in bed. He tiptoed over to her bedside and gazed down at her for a moment. He brought a hand up and gently swept a few strands of hair away from her face.

Sakura's eyes slowly fluttered open from the touch, and she smiled as she saw Sasuke above her.

"You're leaving?" She asked softly.

Sasuke nodded lightly. "Yeah, it's time to go." His thumb stroked her hairline. "You two take care of yourself. I'll be back before you know it."

"I hope you are. You take care of yourself, too."

Sasuke's smile deepened. "I will." He dropped down onto a knee and gave her a long, gentle kiss. When he pulled away he stretched forward and kissed her forehead, and then rubbed his hand over her stomach. "Goodbye. Love you."

"Goodbye. Love you, too." Sakura took a last, longing look at her husband as he stood and turned to head towards the door. Then she shut her eyes and listened as he left their room, walked through the house, and a few moments later she could hear as the door opened and closed. There was a small click as he locked the door, and then it was silent.

"_There he goes." _She thought. Her hand swept over her stomach. _"I hope he'll be back quickly." _

'"'

With Sasuke, he walked on his way to the village gates. The sun had just gotten over the village walls, bathing the town in an early morning light.

Sasuke rounded a corner, and the village gates suddenly came into view. He immediately spotted Naruto and Tsunade standing together at the gate. He made his way over to them. They both looked up as he approached them.

"Hey, look who decided to finally show up!" Naruto grinned.

"It's seven now. I'm right on time." Sasuke responded.

"Alright boys. Let's get a move on." Tsunade ordered, turning towards the gate. "We have a long way to go before we reach the Land of Lightning."

Naruto turned on his heel and proudly marched forward. "Right! Time for the future Hokage to lead the current Hokage safely to the Land of Lightning! Let's go!"

Tsunade and Sasuke made no comments to Naruto's enthusiasm, and quickly fell into step behind the young man.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke over his shoulder. "So what took you? Did you spend the whole time having some long, sweet goodbye with Sakura?"

Sasuke glared at him. "I said goodbye a couple minutes before I left, Dobe. I was just going to let her keep sleeping. She needs it."

"So you admit she woke up and it extended your time?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "You are so annoying."

"No, just inquiring."

"Like you probably didn't have some fond farewell with Hinata."

"Well what do you expect? We've only been married for a few months, and already I'm being sent off on this which has the possibility of separating us for a month! This is gonna be torturous!"

"You've done it before, just suck it up and do it again."

"Wow, you are really heartless, you know that?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted.

"Will the two of you stop bickering already? It's becoming a nuisance." Tsunade ordered.

"Sorry, Grandma." Naruto apologized.

"How long are you going to keep calling me that?" Tsunade asked in an irritated tone.

"Well, considering you _are_ Grandma age and all. I mean, what are you now, sixty? Wait, no, you're over sixty now!"

Tsunade glared at the blond. "Keep talking, and you'll never become Hokage, Naruto. A good Hokage needs to know when to speak up, but then also needs to know when it's better to shut their mouths. You seem to be having trouble with the former."

"Trouble? He has no filter in that big mouth of his." Sasuke huffed.

"Shut up, Teme! And come on Lady Tsunade, you can't really do that! You can't deny that I'm practically the strongest ninja in the whole Leaf Village! I'm sure to get the title of Sixth Hokage through power alone!"

"You do realize that Hokage's do have a lot of important people to work with, like allies and ambassadors?"

"Come on! You know I'm an excellent people-person! People love me!"

"I can think of a few contradictions." Sasuke grumbled.

"You be quiet!" Naruto snapped.

"Okay, that's enough." Tsunade declared. "Come on, now, let's pick up the pace. If we're late it'll be on your heads."

"Alright, Granny!" Naruto replied, running ahead.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, picking up his pace slightly.

"_And so it begins." _Sasuke sighed mentally. _"Let's just hope we get out of this one quickly, and in one piece." _

**FREAKIN' FINALLY! Finally fanfiction fixed up that edit stories section! Finally I can post this thing already! Gah! Whew…so here it was! And it's about time! Hope fanfiction never does THAT again! Anyway, to the real message: **

**Another chapter completed! And I was right! I could finish this! I just needed to do it! And now it's time to hopefully start working on the next chapter! (Which at the moment I type this, I have nothing.) This arc is gonna be some real work…lots of people and scenes to put in, but it should be exciting and interesting! (At least I hope people will think it is.) So anyway, time to really dive into the Land of Lightning arc! Till then readers! **


	25. Attempting Amends

**Chapter Twenty-five- Attempting Amends**

"Hey!" Naruto's voice boomed from up above. "I see the border into the Land of Lightning!"

"Good! Now get back down here!" Tsunade called back to him.

"Coming!" Naruto responded, and a moment later a black and orange figure dropped to the ground from the tree he had been in.

"If only that drop hurt you." Sasuke mumbled.

Naruto glared at his teammate, having heard him. "Well sorry to disappoint you. But I happen to be one of the greatest ninjas ever! I've got mad skills!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sure…."

"Teme!" Naruto proclaimed, but then huffed. "Sour as ever. But come on! Let's go meet the Raikage! If you're lucky, maybe he won't kill you!"

"I can handle myself." He replied, and turned to start walking down the path with Tsunade. He looked over his shoulder. "Coming, Dobe?"

"Yeah, yeah." Naruto answered, quickening to catch up with them.

"Boys, you should know I want you on your best behavior when we do greet the Raikage. I won't have you marring the Leaf Village name with your endless bickering. Got it?" Tsunade instructed them.

"Don't worry, Granny Tsunade, we got it!" Naruto responded, swinging an arm over Sasuke's shoulder. "After all, we're _best friends_! We can get along!"

"Right, well then you better start acting like it." Tsunade replied, turning to look down the road again. "If you misbehave, I'll personally see to it that you never become Hokage."

"You can't do that! I'm almost as strong as you are, Grandma! No one can deny my abilities!"

"Should I give you a repeat of the time I beat you with one finger?"

Sasuke almost laughed. "One finger? How pathetic, Dobe."

Naruto glared at him, taking his arm away from the Uchiha. "Hey! I was twelve! That was a loooong time ago! I'm way stronger than I was then!"

"Okay, enough of this." Tsunade interjected. "We're soon sure to be under the watch of some Hidden Cloud Ninjas. We could even be right now. So get your act straight now."

"Yes, Grandma." Naruto declared, and then it fell silent.

Sasuke's eyes flickered from side to side as they walked. He couldn't sense anything, but Tsunade's statement did make him wonder if they maybe were already being watched. If so, he wondered if the Raikage could already know that he was coming. He didn't know the odds that it was common knowledge to the Cloud ninja that it was him who tried to capture Bee, but if any of them did, he knew he'd have to be on his guard from more than just the Raikage.

'"'"'"'"

The trio entered the territory of Land of Lightning just a couple hours before nightfall. They continued on their trek for most of that time until Tsunade declared that they had just enough light to prepare camp. Naruto and Sasuke immediately set to work making camp.

Naruto looked up from his work and over at Tsunade sitting on a rock watching them. He turned his gaze to Sasuke with a small frown on his face.

"Is this what it's like being all important and stuff?" Naruto whispered. "Once you become Hokage you don't even have to do any prep work before bed?"

Sasuke's gaze flickered towards Tsunade for a moment, and then returned to the blond before him. "You should be used to it. Unless you've never noticed, the VIP's never help in setting up camp. Why should now be any different?"

"I dunno. Just I thought she'd maybe do something rather than just watch us set up. She's a ninja too after all. She could do it all by herself with no trouble."

Sasuke mentally rolled his eyes at Naruto's complaints. "Well if you become Hokage—"

"When." Naruto interjected with a sly grin. "When I become Hokage."

Sasuke huffed, annoyed. "_If _you become Hokage, Dobe." He glared at Naruto to keep him quiet. "Then you can just stand to the side and watch as everyone else sets up camp, too."

"True." Naruto replied. "I'll be the boss of everyone. Even you! Haha, I'd love to be able to boss you around. Hmmm…what would I make my first command?" He looked off as if pondering the thought with an amused smile on his face.

"Tch, you say that like I'd listen. Hokage or not, you'll still be the Dobe."

Naruto pulled out of his thoughts to give Sasuke a matter-of-fact look. "Oh, you won't be calling me that much longer after I become Hokage. I could have you executed for insulting your superiors!"

"You wouldn't." Sasuke proclaimed.

"Who says I wouldn't?"

"Because you're not that kind of person, Sakura would kick your ass before that happened no matter what rank you were, and it wouldn't benefit anyone for you to be selfish. In fact, the village would probably hate you for it. Good luck being a respected Hokage then."

Naruto tried to come up with a retort, but failed. "Okay, so I wouldn't have you executed, but I could always demote you back to being a Genin!"

"So because I insulted you, you'd demote me to Genin, thusly giving me a lower pay, and you'd just watch as Sakura, our child, and I fell into poverty all because of your ego?"

Naruto thought for a moment as that realization hit him. "Ah…I couldn't torture Sakura like that, or your kid."

Sasuke smirked. "So no matter what you are, you'll always be the Dobe."

Naruto sent him a quick glare. "Fine, then I'll just have to beat it out of you."

"Tsunade said she didn't want any fighting while we were here." Sasuke retorted.

"Just wait till we get home, then!"

Sasuke almost laughed. "Like you could beat me."

"Never know. We haven't had a real fight in a pretty long time."

"Doesn't mean you'd win."

"Hey boys, quit your chatting and finish setting up." Tsunade ordered from afar. "I'd like to get some rest soon."

Naruto looked back towards Sasuke. "Yeah, in a few years maybe, that's what I'll get to do. That'll be nice."

"Well, for now you're still just an average Leaf Ninja." Sasuke declared, and then he dropped a bundle into the blonds' hands. "So why don't you set up the sleeping bags?"

"And why don't you?"

Sasuke turned away. "I'm going to get firewood. Considering I'm the fire user, and last time you tried to light a fire, you lit everything _but_ the wood."

Naruto glared after him. "Just you wait. In a few years, you'll be doing _all_ the work! And I did _so_ light that fire! It just went out before you could see!"

"Whatever, Dobe." Sasuke called with a hint of disbelief in his tone.

"Teme!"

Tsunade watched the two of them interact with contained amusement. The two of them would never change, she thought. Even long after they've retired from their ninja lives they'd still continue to bicker as they did now.

"_Perhaps that's a good thing." _Tsunade mused. _"The future needs people like them. Strong, loyal, hardworking men. Even if sometimes they're a pain to deal with."_ A smirk reached her face. _"It's just what people like in their leaders." _

'"'"'"'"

A while past midday the next day, the walls of the Hidden Cloud Village finally came into sight. Within an hour of the sighting, the three found themselves standing at the gates of the village.

Tsunade walked forward to stand before the gates and took in a deep breath. "I am Tsunade! The Hokage of the Land of Fire's Village Hidden in the Leaves! I am under the concession of the Raikage of this village to come meet with him! Grant my escorts' and I peaceful entrance into your village!"

It fell silent for a moment after Tsunade's declaration, but then the sounds of gears turning creaked around them, and the entrance to the Hidden Cloud Village crept open. The three looked ahead and spotted three ninja standing waiting for them on the other side of the gate.

All six walked forward in time until they met at the line that bordered the outside world and the Hidden Cloud Village.

The ninja in the center bowed, followed by the two beside him. When he stood up straight he looked at Tsunade. "Greetings Lady Hokage. We've been expecting you. We will escort you to the Raikage's building."

Tsunade inclined her head. "Very well. Thank you."

The center ninja turned on their heel and began to lead the way through the village to the Raikage's building. As they walked, Sasuke took in their surroundings. The village was undoubtedly different from the Hidden Leaf Village, but he knew that inside they weren't all that different. They were both a ninja village, serving under the rule of their Kage, and doing what they could to keep their villages running.

Suddenly, the one girl that had been in their greeting party fell back a bit to walk beside him.

"Hello." She greeted him with a smile. She had the same looks as most of the other Cloud ninjas he had met over the years. "Welcome to the Hidden Cloud Village."

"Hn, hey." Sasuke responded, trying to be polite.

"I never imagined that someone from the Leaf Village could be so handsome." She grinned flirtatiously.

Mentally Sasuke sighed. Another fangirl.

"So how long are you all expected to be here?" She asked curiously. He already knew where her thoughts were headed, but he decided it would be best to ignore them. Hopefully, he thought, she wouldn't be so forward as to actually ask him for a date or anything.

"I don't know." He answered.

"Well, if you do, why don't you drop me a line? I could show you some of the sights of this place. Or…maybe we could do something _else_."

"No." He answered bluntly.

She frowned dejectedly. "Why not?"

It seemed he couldn't ignore it, he thought. He had to just get it over with and break another heart. "I'm married."

His statement seemed to take a moment for her to register. Once it did though, her whole demeanor dropped. "Oh…." She responded hollowly, and then she appeared to feel self-conscious. "Uh…sorry…I didn't realize. You know?"

"Hn," he grunted, but then realized that unlike Sakura or one of his friends, she wouldn't understand him. "Yeah."

She fell really silent for a long time. "Sure she's pretty." She murmured, mostly to herself.

"Beautiful." He muttered before he realized he was thinking out loud.

That just seemed to lessen the girl's spirit as she heard him. "I see…. Um…what's her name?" She asked with a feeble attempt at conversation.

Sasuke felt a lightness come over him as his thoughts drifted around his wife. "Sakura."

"Nice name…it sounds familiar." She stated, and then thought for a moment. "…She doesn't have pink hair, does she?"

"She does."

She smiled a little. "I think I've met her. She came here a couple times before." Sasuke remembered briefly the couple of times he'd been separated from Sakura for a long time while she had been in the Land of Lightning. "She taught me a few things while we were working together. I'm a medical ninja. Her name was…Sakura Haruno?"

"Uchiha. She's Sakura Uchiha now." He corrected.

"Oh yeah…right." She looked towards the ground, and then another thought hit her. "Wait…so you're Sasuke Uchiha?"

"Yeah."

Several different emotions crossed through her eyes at once. "Then…you're the boyfriend she had been talking about at that time. She spoke so fondly of you back then." Sasuke could feel his mouth twitch up towards a smirk. "And you…you were the traitor who came back." Her eyes widened. "And you're the guy who took—" Her voice caught and Sasuke's near smirk dropped.

"_Shit."_ He thought. _"Looks like people _do_ remember." _

"I wasn't a member of the Leaf Village when that happened. And it ended in failure anyway." Sasuke quickly tried to dismiss the subject.

She appeared to be caught for a moment, unsure of what to say.

"Hey, hey, Sasuke. Making friends?" Naruto's voice suddenly poked into the conversation.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted again, not missing Naruto calling him by his name in agreement with Lady Tsunade to not argue with him.

"Hello." The Cloud ninja girl greeted him.

Naruto grinned. "Hey there! I'm Naruto Uzumaki. And a few years from now, you guys may be escorting me through here again, but _I'll_ be the Hokage!"

"Oh, are you Lady Hokage's successor?"

Naruto opened his mouth to answer, but Sasuke beat him to it. "Tch, he likes to think he is."

Naruto's expression quickly turned to a glare. "I _will_ be Hokage. Just you wait!"

The girl laughed a little. "Well then, best of luck to you."

"I don't need luck. I have all the skills necessary! Say, speaking of Kages, you know how much longer the current Raikage's gonna be running this show?"

Her eyes widened to show her surprised confusion. "Lord Raikage has been the leader of our village for years. He's a great man, and many of our citizens would be sad to see him retire. I hope that he doesn't step down any time soon, or at least not before picking out an able bodied successor who will do just as great a job as he has done for so long."

Naruto almost seemed put down by the declaration. "Oh…I see. Well, okay…."

The group came to a sudden stop in front of a large building. "This is the Raikage's building." The lead ninja declared.

Without another word, the six of them walked in. Tsunade, Naruto, and Sasuke followed the three Cloud ninja for a couple minutes until they came to an abrupt stop.

The lead ninja pointed down the hall. "Just keep going forward and you will reach the designated meeting room that the Raikage has set aside for you."

"Thank you." Tsunade responded. "Your help is appreciated."

The three Cloud ninja looked at the Leaf ninja for a moment, bowed, and then disappeared.

The group started on their way down the halls of the Raikage's building, and soon they walked into a large, open room. At the end of a long table the three immediately noticed the Raikage sitting, watching all of them.

A huge grin reached Naruto's face as he noticed someone standing next to the Raikage.

"Hey, Octopus Man!" Naruto exclaimed.

Killer Bee grinned back at the blond. "What's up my nine-tailed brother? Been waiting so long…hmmm…hey, what rhymes with 'brother?'"

"Mother!" Naruto answered. "Been waiting so long, you thought I was your mother!"

Bee stared at him for a moment. "You should leave the rhymes to me. That's why I'm Killer Bee!"

"Alright, that's enough." The Raikage declared. "Good of you to finally arrive, Lady Hokage. Take a seat."

Tsunade inclined her head. "Good to see you, Lord Raikage." She took a seat, and Naruto and Sasuke stood on either side of her.

The Raikage's eyes flicked away from Tsunade and landed on Sasuke. He stared at him for a moment skeptically, and then his eyes widened and a second later he was on his feet.

"YOU!" He roared. "You're that—!"

"Lord Raikage." Tsunade interjected loudly to get his attention. "I would prefer for you to treat my most trusted escorts with the same respect and hospitality as you treat me."

The Raikage glared at Sasuke. "You expect me to openly welcome the man who tried to kill my brother?"

"I expect you to honor my decision to keep Sasuke with us." Tsunade responded. "He's become an invaluable asset to our village, which is why I chose for him to be one of my escorts. Everything else is in the past."

The Raikage opened his mouth to make a retort, but another voice beat him to it.

"Hold on a second, bro!" Killer Bee declared, turning to his brother. "It's okay, I've already let it go!"

Tsunade nodded approvingly. "Besides, it would be to no one's benefit for you to harm him. Not to you, him, us…or my former pupil, who's now his expecting wife."

The Raikage's eyes widened in surprise. "Expecting?"

"Wheee! A baby?" Killer Bee exclaimed.

Everyone's eyes turned to Sasuke, who looked away from them all in an attempt to hide the slight redness reaching his cheeks.

Naruto jumped on the Uchiha and swung an arm over his shoulder. "Yeah! He and Sakura have a little kiddie on the way! You got what I say?"

Bee held up a fist in their direction. "Yeah! Wheeee! To my new friend! This is to your lady! And also to your baby! Congratulations my man. Good luck in building up a big, happy clan!"

The Raikage continued to stare down the Uchiha across the table from him. Sasuke eventually returned his stare. Anyone could feel the tension still in the air.

"I'm not like I used to be." Sasuke finally declared. "Nine years ago I did jobs for the Akatsuki for selfish reasons, but I've been a part of the Leaf Village for a long time now, and I have no intentions of returning to my former ways. I promise you that."

"It doesn't change what you did." The Raikage retorted.

"Everything's fine now, though." Sasuke responded.

"Are you arguing with me?"

"I'm trying to tell you that I have no plans, or even a thought, to harming you or your brother in any way. There's no point to it."

The Raikage frowned, but Tsunade spoke up first.

"Raikage, understand that he is only here to serve as my escort. Nothing more. And know that it will only harm our meeting if you tried anything against him. I'm sure we're all capable of sitting together peacefully. There's no need for senseless, old revenge and violence to mar this occasion."

The Raikage looked from Tsunade to Sasuke several times before he sighed and dropped back into his chair. "Very well." His eyes narrowed. "But if he does—"

"He will not." Tsunade interjected sharply. "And that's that. Now, let's get on with this. Actually, we'll take this up tomorrow. I know I'm tired, and I'm sure that my escorts could use some rest as well."

"Fine." The Raikage stood at the same time as Tsunade, and turned to look at Bee. "If you don't mind, show them to their rooms, Brother."

"You got it!" Bee began to approach the three. "What's say we hit the hay?"

"I heard that!" Naruto agreed.

The four started towards the exit of the room. As they left, Sasuke threw a look over his shoulder to see the Raikage staring after them, particularly at him. He quickly turned his head back to the front and pretended not to notice.

"_Well, looks like the Dobe and Sakura were right." _Sasuke thought. _"Hopefully Tsunade's words have cooled him down from trying to kill me. If not…this is going to be a stressful few weeks…." _

**And chapter twenty-five is done! And right now chapter twenty-four STILL isn't up because freaking fanfiction won't let me edit my stories! It's maddening I tell ya. Of course at this point when people finally get to read this, it'll be about a week after fanfiction finally lets me post the twenty-fourth chapter. (Whenever that is.) Anyway, so now we're officially in the Land of Lightning arc! Of course, next chapter won't really have anything to do with the Land of Lightning mission. What exactly I mean, you shall just have to wait and see. Whew…man…I didn't realize how much thought had to go into just having Bee **_**talk**_**! So many rhymes he busts, and sometimes my brain dies and I can't think of anything that rhymes with whatever I need to rhyme it with! (Or at least nothing that makes sense no matter how I use it.) Sigh…well, anyway, whatever. I'll get through it. Till the next chapter peoples!  
And about the next chapter, I don't know when it'll be up. I've been **_**insanely**_** busy this week, and haven't had any time to write a word on it. But it'll be up eventually! **


	26. Mystery's End

**Chapter Twenty-six- Mystery's End**

"Thanks again for coming to hang out for a while, Hinata." Sakura beamed at her friend from across the table at a coffee shop.

"No problem." Hinata smiled back. "There hasn't been much to do lately."

"Ha, you think _you've_ got nothing to do? At least you can still go on missions." Sakura replied. "All I can do is sit around."

Hinata gazed at her sympathetically. "I know. Though Lady Tsunade hasn't assigned me on very many missions lately, either."

"Well, if it weren't for the fact that she and Naruto were off on that mission to the Land of Lightning right now, I'd almost be inclined to think it was because she was hoping you and Naruto would start 'expanding.'" Sakura grinned at her around the rim of her cup.

Hinata's cheeks flared to a bright pink and she couldn't meet Sakura's gaze. "O-o-o-oh, I-I-I d-don't know a-about _that_."

Sakura laughed lightly as she set the cup down. "I'm only teasing. Well…for now." Hinata's cheeks grew hotter. "I would actually be sort of surprised if you guys made progress _that_ quickly."

"But…you and Sasuke have already been married for nearly nine months, a-and you've been pregnant for seven."

Sakura's cheeks darkened slightly. "Well, I like to think our relationship is different from yours and Naruto's. Naruto's the one who openly shows off his affection for you, while Sasuke and I do whatever we want to show our affection for each other." She laughed once. "And the pattern does seem to be that you guys trail right after us. We get together, you get together, we get engaged, you get engaged, we have kids, you…"

"I-I suppose." Hinata stammered shyly, looking down at the tabletop. "Um…how are you coming along, anyway?"

Sakura glanced down at her bulging stomach, then back up at Hinata. "Well, that's why I don't leave the house often. It's quite a load. But all check-ups say that we're both healthy and coming along well, so I'd say it's going good."

"Good. So…what does Sasuke think? I mean…about you two starting a family?"

At that, Sakura smiled lightly and she looked off reminiscently. "Oh…he's so cute sometimes. I remember back when I first told him I was pregnant. For a moment all he did was stare at me like I had grown a second head, but then he picked me up and swung me around as he kissed me. I don't think I've ever seen him so happy before. Then after that he went right in to thinking about us as a family and what it'll be like."

Hinata smiled. "It sounds like he really wants a family."

"Well I already figured as much. What with him wanting to revive the Uchiha's and all. Heh, I also remember for a while he was so watchful. Always monitoring what I was doing. And if he thought it was too much work he'd make me sit and take over. I eventually had to break him of that by telling him nothing could happen to the baby while it was hardly even formed just by working. It had been a little difficult, and now he's right back to it now that I'm almost due, but I don't mind it so much now. I'll tell you though, I can't wait to finally be able to get back up on my feet. It feels like my time as a ninja was a lifetime ago. Whenever you become pregnant, enjoy what you can do while it lasts a while longer."

Hinata nodded. "Yeah…I guess so."

Sakura pushed herself up out of her chair. "Well, maybe I should start heading home. I have a few things to do."

Hinata stood as well. "Okay."

The two paid for their drinks and soon started on their ways home. For the time being they walked together on their paths, continuing to chat idly and enjoying the walk.

"So what _has_ Naruto said about family?" Sakura inquired.

Hinata blushed. "Oh…not much, really. I-I don't really know if it's a…priority to him right now."

"Heh, I think the only priorities he's ever had have been you and becoming Hokage."

Hinata smiled. "I guess."

"I know." She retorted.

Hinata giggled, and then looked ahead as they rounded a corner. Sakura still had her eyes on her, so she didn't notice the glint that caught Hinata's attention. For a moment she didn't know what it was, but the realization quickly registered, and her body tensed as it drew closer.

"Look out!" Hinata gasped.

Sakura's head turned just in time to see a black object whizzing towards her. Her ninja reactions slowed by pregnancy, it was Hinata pulling her by the arm that got her out of the way in time. The object flew past her by a hair, and sunk deep into the ground behind them. Upon inspection, Sakura realized it was a kunai.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked quickly as Hinata continued to pull her until they were hidden behind a wall.

"I don't know." Hinata responded, her Byakugan activating. "I just saw the kunai flying towards you. I didn't activate the Byakugan quickly enough to see who had thrown it."

"Only one way to find out." Sakura declared, and took a step out.

Hinata's grip on her arm tightened and pulled her back. "No! Don't go out there!"

Sakura turned back to her. "Then how do you expect us to figure out who it is? If they're after me for some reason, I want to know why."

"But you can't risk getting hurt." Hinata retorted, her eyes flicking towards Sakura's stomach.

At that Sakura froze. Her free hand went towards her vulnerable stomach. She knew Hinata was right. If Sasuke were there, she thought, he would do everything in his power to keep her out of sight, and that was what she needed to do.

"Fine." She relented, getting out of Hinata's grasp. "But whoever it is probably won't come out if they just see you. They could have even escaped by now since they've obviously realized they've been discovered."

"Well, if they're running, I'll see them with my Byakugan, and if not, I'll figure it out. Just keep yourself hidden and keep your guard up."

Sakura looked into Hinata's veined eyes, nodded, and slunk to the side into a shop. "Just hurry. If you're not back in ten minutes, I'm coming after you. I don't care what's happening."

Hinata seemed disapproving, but she didn't voice it. She nodded back at Sakura and then ran out into the open.

Her head immediately turned towards the area where the kunai had flown from. She didn't see anyone at first, but then her Byakugan pinned down the chakra of someone. They were unfamiliar to her, which immediately caught her suspicion. Her hand reached down reflexively towards her right leg, but then she remembered that her weapons were at home. Frowning, she focused on the chakra, and then began to run after them.

With her Byakugan she saw as the person she chased turned their head and sensed her on their tail. They quickly looked forward again and picked up their pace. Their running immediately set off the alarm in Hinata's head that this was the person who had just tried to attack Sakura. She sped up, determined to catch the attacker.

The attacker continued to run. They dashed down alleyways, hopped fences, ran through trees, but they were unaware that all attempts to throw Hinata off would be useless due to the power of her Byakugan. This seemed to eventually hit them, as when they reached the clearing of an empty park, they ground to a halt, kicking up a spray of dirt as they did so.

Hinata emerged into the opening, and immediately grasped the metal pole of a swing set to stop herself.

Finally in the open, Hinata could see that the attacker was male. He was dressed casually so as not to stand out in the crowd of citizens in the village except for the belt he wore that sported an arsenal of weaponry. To any ordinary citizen he would have appeared as a typical ninja probably on his way to begin a new mission.

He frowned as he looked Hinata over. "A Hyuga." He spat the name like a curse. "No wonder I couldn't shake you."

Hinata got into her gentle fists battle stance. "Why were you attacking us?"

"I wasn't attacking _you_." He retorted, pulling out a kunai. "I only had one target."

Hinata's eyes narrowed. "What reason do you have to attack Sakura?"

"That's none of your business."

"It is when you try to kill one of my friends." She replied, and then she lunged forward.

He held his kunai in front of him defensively as Hinata barreled towards him. Hinata drew a hand back to knock the weapon aside and strike at him with the other, but then she saw his other hand reach towards a long dagger. She put out her foot to stop herself, and just managed to lean back as the blade whizzed over her, barely missing hacking off some of the hairs of her bangs. She retreated and leveled her gaze on her opponent once more.

He pulled his hand with the kunai back as if he was about to throw it. For a moment their eyes locked. His seemed entirely blank, just like the eyes off all hired assassins Hinata had met in her life. Completely devoid of emotion as they slaughtered anyone in their path between them and their paid quarry.

Hinata rushed him again. He stayed motionless as he held up his kunai. As she almost reached him, he suddenly disappeared. She immediately twisted around and caught his arm as he came up behind her and thrust his kunai at her. He temporarily lost his grip on the weapon, and Hinata seized it from him. Before he had an opportunity to get away, she raked it across his arm. He cursed and fell back, holding his bleeding arm.

Hinata continued relentlessly. She surged forward with a palm ready. He dodged her first attack, and then barely avoided her second attack with the kunai. He slipped through an opening after the two attacks, grabbed her arm, and twisted it. Hinata let out a cry of pain and dropped the kunai into the sand. He then grabbed the back of her shirt with his other hand, and hurled her sideways. She slammed into a merry-go-round and gasped painfully as her back hit the metal bars.

The man snatched up the kunai from the sand and approached her almost casually. He smirked triumphantly as he saw her crumpled form laying half on the merry-go-round and half in the sand. She gasped and fell back as trying to sit up sent a spike of pain up her back.

"I guess this is the end for you." He declared. "I wasn't hired to kill _you_, but I'll finish my business with the Uchiha woman after this. Tch, even though I find it a little degrading to have to kill a pregnant woman. Money is money. Now die!"

Hinata's muscles tightened and she shut her eyes, waiting for the pain of the kunai stabbing in to her to register.

But it never came. Instead she heard the unmistakable sound of skin hitting skin, hard. Then she heard a grunt from the man. She opened an eye carefully and saw he was gone. Her other eye opened and she looked to the side. Her eyes widened as she saw the man laying unconscious on the ground, and over him stood Sakura.

"S-Sakura!" Hinata exclaimed, trying to sit up, but cringing instead as pain shot through her again. "Y-you—!"

"It's okay, Hinata." Sakura interjected, inspecting the man to be sure that he was unconscious. She momentarily admired the fist-sized red mark on the side of the man's face. Then she turned and went towards her friend. Her brow furrowed with concern. "Are you alright?"

Hinata shook her head. "I can't sit up."

Sakura kneeled down beside her, green medical chakra flaring up around her hands. She put both hands on Hinata's front, doing an analysis of the damage. Hinata's eyes returned to normal as she watched Sakura do her work.

Sakura's mouth twitched at the corners towards a frown. "Well, it's not good, but it's not bad either. Luckily for you he didn't throw you hard enough to break your spine, or we'd be in big trouble."

Hinata's eyes widened slightly. "You saw the battle?"

"Most of it." She replied. "It took me a while to catch up, what with my extra baggage." She smiled jokingly at her. "Sorry that I didn't listen to you. I just couldn't help worrying, and I left soon after you did. I got here in time to see him throw you, and saw how you couldn't get up. When he was about to attack you, I quickly rushed in. He shouldn't be waking up till we've got him restrained. Then we can start interrogating him for information. Like what he wants with me."

Hinata nodded. "Right."

As Sakura had spoken, she had been working on Hinata's injuries. She pulled her hands away. "Okay, let's see if you can sit up now. It's not perfect, though. We'll have to take you by the hospital after this."

Hinata put a hand on the metal of the merry-go-round and pushed herself upwards. When little to no pain came to her back, she smiled gratefully at Sakura. "Much better."

Sakura returned her smile. "Great. And now," she turned her head towards the attacker, "to deal with him."

Hinata stood up and then helped Sakura up. "We should take him to the interrogation headquarters."

"Hmm…I've got a better idea." Sakura replied. "And I think it'll be a shorter trip, too."

Hinata gave her a questioning look, and Sakura beckoned her towards the unconscious man with a knowing smile on her face.

'"'"'"'"

"This guy tried to _kill you_?" Ino gawked.

"You say that like this is the first time in my life someone's tried to kill me." Sakura responded. "We _are_ ninja you know."

Ino shot her a half glare. "You know what I mean! I mean someone was actually sent after you with the explicit job of _killing you_?"

"Again, it's happened before." Sakura looked down at their tied up captive. "Except this time we actually have the assassin in question so we can find out what's going on."

"And that's what you came to me for?" Ino inquired.

"Well, your family does pass down mind techniques. I figured if anyone would do it, you would." Sakura replied.

"Hm, yeah, I suppose so." Ino approached the still unconscious man. "Sure he's an assassin? He looks so…average."

"Well, considering that he tried to kill me, then Hinata, I'd say yes. This is the assassin without a doubt."

"Has pregnancy made you very sarcastic?"

"No, stupid questions have. Come on, I want to find out the deal with this guy. I can't help thinking…but he could be connected to the guy who was sent after me and Sasuke back when we were on our honeymoon."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that." Ino continued to inspect the assassin, and then she put a hand on his head. "Well, I guess I'll find out what I can. I haven't had to seriously use this very often though, so don't blame me if I take a while because I'm rusty."

"So long as we get some information, I don't really care how long it takes." Sakura took a seat on one of the stools next to Hinata, who had remained silent the whole conversation.

Both of them then watched as Ino shut her eyes, and it became completely silent as she worked her way into the man's mind. Ino's head slumped down, an indicator that she had successfully gotten in. Sakura watched her anxiously. Though she seemed nonchalant as she spoke with Ino, the fact that someone _was_ after her, and probably Sasuke as well, unsettled her greatly. She desperately wanted to find out who was after them, and, if possible, to stop them before any harm came to their coming family. Sakura's hand went over her stomach at the thought.

What felt like an eternity passed on in silence. The only noises were the occasional sounds of people walking past the flower shop. Sakura fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, and glanced between Ino and Hinata over and over as they waited. Hinata kept sending her reassuring smiles, though even Sakura could tell that the mystery was bugging Hinata as well.

Finally, Ino's head lifted, her eyes opened, and she pulled her hand away from the man.

"Woah." Ino sighed as she returned to her physical body. She stood up slowly, brushing off some stray dirt on her clothes as she did so.

"Well?" Sakura pressed.

Ino looked towards her friend, a grim look on her face. "Well, you're right about one thing. You and Sasuke are being targeted."

Sakura had expected the news, but somehow actually hearing it confirmed felt like a hard blow. "What information did he have?"

"Well, to put it simply, he was hired by a man who apparently has a pretty strong dislike for Uchiha's. He doesn't know the details of it, but I mean, come on, I bet there are plenty of people out there who dislike the Uchiha's for one reason or another. This guy just decided to get violent about it. When he sent someone after you on your honeymoon, he had been hoping to take care of you both while you were relaxed and had your guards down. When that failed and he heard about your being pregnant, he moved to plan two: kill the wife while she's handicapped and stop anymore Uchiha's from walking the earth. Of course, once this guy doesn't return, he'll obviously discover his plans were thwarted again."

"But what have we done personally to upset this guy?" Sakura asked.

"Oh, you know how revenge and hatred driven people are. So long as they get some blood they're happy."

"That's what I'm concerned about." Her brow furrowed in worry. "I hope Sasuke's okay."

"He's probably fine." Ino waved away her anxiety. "They only targeted you right now because you were so open. Sasuke's off in the Land of Lightning, in perfect health, and working with a couple Kages. No one's gonna screw with him right now unless they want to get killed."

"I hope you're right." She replied. "So what should we do with him now?"

"I say," Ino declared, "we take him to the interrogation unit."

"You mean your dad?"

"Exactly. He's better at this than me. He'll pump this guy for every drop of information he's got. And then you'll have nothing to worry about. As soon as Lady Tsunade hears about this, you know she's gonna send some people out to take care of these guys before they cause anymore harm. I don't think you have anything to worry about anymore."

"That's comforting." Sakura proclaimed, looking down at the unconscious assassin.

"I'll take him over there right now." Ino grabbed the back of the man's shirt in preparation to drag him.

"I'll help." Hinata offered.

"No, you go make sure Sakura gets home safely. Heaven forbid she gets attacked again."

"Actually, Hinata, we need to head to the hospital to get you checked out, remember?" Sakura stated.

"Oh, right." Hinata replied. "Okay."

"Right, you guys do that. If there's time, I'll meet you over there." Ino began to drag the man out the door. "I'm off."

"Bye. And thanks, Ino!" Sakura called after her.

Ino waved a hand. "All in a day's work for a Leaf ninja!"

Sakura smiled, looked at Hinata, and then the two left as well and took off in the opposite direction Ino left in to go to the hospital.

Sakura's hand slid over the side of her stomach as they walked.

"_Well, I guess that ends that mystery. Sasuke and I are safe. And so is our baby…." _Her eyes slid halfway closed thoughtfully. _"Even if no one's been sent after him, I still hope's Sasuke's okay. What with the Raikage and all…. Hmm…I hope he's home soon…."_

**WOO! Another one down! Granted…I'm very late. But eventually is better than never! Ahhh…it's been one hell of a time lately. One week I'm super busy and unable to work, the next I'm sorta busy and uninspired, and right now I'm now past halfway through a four day weekend, and it took me quite a bit of it just to write this! I've been sooo lazy…but it's been awesome. I really needed this time off. And this time off has allowed me to do this! (After all, if I had school tomorrow, I wouldn't be here right now, so see? It helped me!) Anyway, I have a sliver of writing done on the next chapter, but I know where I'm going. (I know I said that about this chapter and you got nothing for a long time, but this time I'm serious!) So…hopefully I'll be updating in a more timely fashion next time. Till then readers! **


	27. Bonds at Work

**Chapter Twenty-seven- Bonds at Work**

It was quiet in the room that Sasuke, Naruto, and Lady Tsunade shared. It was one of the larger guestrooms in the Raikage's building.

Sasuke sat perched on the windowsill, looking out at the village. Naruto and Tsunade were away at the moment getting lunch. Sasuke hadn't been hungry, so he declined their invitation and told them he'd eat later. What he hadn't told them though, was that he really just wanted some peace and quiet from all the business there'd been.

His thoughts drifted over the past week and a half. He never came to any meetings with the Raikage directly since the first day. He usually waited outside like a guard until Naruto and Tsunade came back out.

Sasuke leaned his head against the window as he continued to gaze out at the village. He closed his eyes momentarily, and behind his closed lids he could see Sakura smiling sweetly at him. She had a hand over her bulging stomach as her habit had become, and he could see his love for her reflected in her eyes. The image brought a light smile to his face, and at the same time it brought a pang of longing. She'd been in his head all day; another reason he wanted to be alone.

His eyes opened and he sighed. He missed his wife. He wished that she could be there with him, or that he could be home with her. He wondered how she was faring with their unborn child. Another longing pang hit him. His hands tingled in longing to reach out and hold her against himself, and if he closed his eyes he could almost feel the lingering, familiar feeling left over from a gentle kiss.

"_I should probably send her a letter soon." _He thought. He knew she must be just as curious as to how he was doing, and would benefit from a letter, just as he would if she replied.

A knock on the door broke Sasuke out of his thoughts of his wife. He almost glared at the door accusingly as it opened and the head of a young male Cloud Ninja appeared.

"Lady Hokage isn't here right now." Sasuke declared, expecting that to be the reason for the appearance of the ninja.

"Um…Lord Raikage does not wish to see Lady Hokage right now." The boy replied. "He wishes to see Sasuke Uchiha."

Sasuke's brow rose in contained surprise. "Well, that's me."

"Lord Raikage would like for you to meet with him."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed suspiciously for a moment. "Was he pissed when he asked?"

The boy blinked in confusion. "Not that I could tell…. He seemed…normal?" He stated, more as a question, as if he were unsure.

Now Sasuke blinked in confusion. A moment later he hopped off the windowsill and made his way to the door. "Well then…where is he?"

"I'm supposed to lead you to him." The boy responded. "Follow me, and quickly. Lord Raikage will be displeased if he has to wait for long."

"_Well if that's the _only_ reason he'd be angry." _Sasuke thought for a moment. But he made no vocal response, and simply hurried to catch up with the boy.

'"'

Sasuke was confused when they left the Raikage's building, and wary when they started to trek up the side of a rocky mountain. He wondered offhandedly for a moment if this was some trick being played on him by the Cloud Ninja, or maybe those who remembered what he did years ago still held a grudge for it and were going to ambush him. He flared his Sharingan momentarily in search of other chakras, but all he could see was the chakra of the boy who led him.

They continued to climb until Sasuke could almost feel his ears pop at the change in altitude. Finally, he picked up the unmistakably bold chakra of the Raikage, and for an odd moment he felt relieved.

The two crested over a large rock and Sasuke looked up. He could see the Raikage looking down at them from an outcrop of rocks just above them. He couldn't quite tell from below, but he thought the Raikage smiled when he saw them.

"Thank you for bringing him, Shusui." The Raikage declared.

Shusui bowed. "It was my pleasure, Lord Raikage."

The Raikage turned his gaze to Sasuke. "Come and join me up here, if you would."

"…Sure." Sasuke answered only slightly hesitantly. He quickly jumped up an incline of rocks until he reached the outcropping the Raikage was seated on. He hesitated for a moment, and then dropped down next to him.

"You may leave now, Shusui." The Raikage told the young ninja. Shusui bowed his head, and in an instant he was gone. The Raikage chuckled lowly when he saw Sasuke's contained surprise. "He's fast for his age. That's why I sent him to get you."

"Right." Sasuke responded, feeling suddenly awkward to be left alone with the man who, just a little while ago, wanted to pile drive him into the floor.

"I like it up here." The Raikage chatted idly. "Look forward. You can see the whole village. Granted you could see it lower down the mountain as well, but up here it's much more secluded. And in addition it's a great place to be when a thunderstorm hits. It's intense training, but if you survive you're almost sure to have mastered the lightning element."

Sasuke tapped the heel of his foot against the rock as he said, "I see." He was never one for big conversations except with Sakura and maybe Naruto, and the Raikage was nowhere near Sakura-like, and his brother Bee was more like Naruto than he was. He found himself reverting back to his normal, antisocial self. He did, however, look out, and indeed he could see the entire Hidden Cloud Village from his position way up high.

It fell silent between them for a while. Both of them wrapped up in their own thoughts until: "So…you've gotten married?" The Raikage inquired slowly.

Sasuke was a little thrown by the question, but nodded his head. "Yeah."

"And she's…pregnant?"

Sasuke nodded again. "Yes. Seven months now."

"Do you love her?"

Sasuke's eyes shut halfway. "More than anything." He knew the Raikage was asking him these questions almost like a test, so he knew it was good to answer truthfully.

"Good." The Raikage murmured mostly to himself, as if his answer reassured him in some way. "What's her name?"

"Sakura." He answered. "She used to be Sakura Haruno."

"Sakura Haruno…wasn't she apprentice to Lady Hokage? I think I remember her."

"She was."

"Yes, now I remember. The pink-haired one."

One side of Sasuke's mouth twitched upwards towards a smirk. "Yeah, that's her."

"How long have you two…known each other?"

Sasuke looked up at the sky thoughtfully. "We've been teammates since we were twelve, but we knew each other in the Academy since we were seven. So…almost seventeen years."

"That's a very long time." The Raikage whistled, sounding impressed. "And…together?"

"We started dating when we were seventeen, so we've been together for almost seven years."

"Nice." The Raikage stated, and then it grew silent for a while. Then, "Lady Hokage seems to have a lot of trust in you."

Now Sasuke knew he was in dangerous waters. He'd have to choose his words carefully. "Yes. I suppose so. It was her who decided to let me back into the Leaf Village. So…she sort of saved my life. The least I owe her is my loyalty." When he thought about it, he spoke the truth. If Tsunade had gone with the other four nations in the decision to kill him, he'd probably be dead right now. He couldn't imagine having to run for his life constantly for seven years. "If it weren't for her," he thought aloud, "I wouldn't have the happy life I have now…with Sakura…and with our coming child."

His statement seemed to pull at the Raikage. "Yes…I wonder where your wife would be right now if you weren't there."

Sasuke thought of it. If he hadn't returned, if he had been killed by some nation's Anbu squad, if he never came to realize he was in love with Sakura, she would be elsewhere. He detested the thought of her with anyone else, but at the same time he couldn't imagine her living a life alone. He wondered for a moment whether or not she would have just killed herself in love-lost grief if he died. The thought brought up the bitter memories of when he had thought Sakura had died. It almost made him ache just thinking about it. Suddenly his desire to see Sakura again spiked, almost making him gasp.

"Are you alright?" The Raikage asked, seeming concerned.

Sasuke pulled out of his thoughts with a feeling like waking up from a dream. He looked towards the Raikage with a dazed expression for a moment, blinked, and took in a breath to pull himself back together. "Sorry…I was…thinking."

"Did I say something wrong?"

"Not really." Sasuke gazed down at the rocks below them soberly. "It just made me think. And it brought up memories I'd rather forget. I'm fine now."

The Raikage looked down. The angle the sun was at made his eyes disappear in shadow. He remained still for several moments, until finally he lifted his head and turned to look at Sasuke. "I'm sorry about earlier. Blowing up with rage when I saw you for the first time and realized who you were."

"That's fine. It's not a ninja life if you don't face a few death threats every once in a while."

The Raikage chuckled. "I suppose so. What I mean though is I shouldn't have blindly accused you of still being a terrible person bent on killing others. I hardly even realized I still felt sour about what happened years ago…when you were a different person. I understand that now, and I guess what I'm trying to say is…I don't forgive you for what you did…but I'm willing to look past it, because I trust you won't do it again."

"The Akatsuki is demolished. No one's after what's left of the tailed-beasts. And my best friend is one. I have no reason whatsoever to even bother attacking your brother again."

"That's right…the nine-tailed fox boy. I'd almost forgotten." The Raikage smiled at him. "So can we call a truce? From today onward there's no mention of what was, only what will be." His smile broadened. "Like your family."

Sasuke smirked and looked up at him. "Agreed."

"Good. Now my only question is: why wasn't I invited to the wedding?" He roared with laughter.

Sasuke chuckled a couple times. "That falls under the category of what was."

"True, fine then…hmmmm. How about this, I'll forgive you for that if you bring your wife and baby here some day so I can officially meet them."

Sasuke nearly smiled at the thought. His eyes flickered past the Raikage. "I—" his sentence caught in his throat. "Get down!"

A surprised expression reached the Raikage's face, but he obeyed Sasuke's command anyway. Both of them ducked just in time as a giant shuriken whizzed over their heads.

"What the hell?" The Raikage roared, standing up and looking towards where the shuriken had come from. "Who dares to attack the Raikage?"

Sasuke jumped up as well and activated his Sharingan. A spike of color caught his attention hidden between a couple boulders. He quickly calculated the distance, decided it was okay, and began to make hand signs.

"_Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu." _He put his hand by his lips, and blew out a large fireball. It flew at the rocks where he had seen the chakra. The ball exploded into a spray of flames as it slammed into the rock walls. A moment later, as he expected, a figure came leaping out of the rocks to escape the fire. Sasuke immediately jumped up to intercept the attacker.

The person saw him coming, and quickly began to make hand signs. They held out their arms, and Sasuke automatically knew what was coming. He put his arms up to shield himself as a blast of wind chakra hit him like a wall. He fell back towards the ground like a stone.

He rammed into something solid, but when it moved unlike a rock, he realized he hadn't made a crushing impact with stone. He looked up to see the Raikage's head looming over him; a strong arm kept him just off the ground.

"You alright?" The Raikage asked, dropping Sasuke onto his feet.

"I'm fine." He replied.

"That was some quick thinking, but you left yourself open jumping at him without even considering what he could possibly do." The Raikage stated somewhere between an impressed and scolding tone.

"I know." Sasuke responded, feeling reminiscently like he was being chided at by Sakura for his sometimes brash behavior. "Have any enemies to explain this?"

"Plenty, being in my position. But none with the gall to outright attack me. You?"

"I might have pissed a few people off, but I don't think they'd follow me to the Land of Lightning. Not that I know of, at least."

The Raikage looked around. "I don't see him anymore."

Sasuke stared straight ahead, his Sharingan still activated. "He's here. He's just hiding, probably rethinking his strategy. He must not realize I can see him."

"Tell me where he is. I'll deal with him in a second."

Sasuke contemplated it for a moment, and then, relenting, said, "Straight ahead. Behind that pointed rock formation." Sasuke gestured slightly towards the formation.

The Raikage smirked. "I've trained up here for longer than you've been alive. This is my territory." With that, he raised a fist into the air. Sasuke could feel and see the lightning chakra crackling in the air around the Raikage. "This man doesn't stand a chance!" And then he slammed his fist into the ground, making the whole ground seem to rumble like an earthquake was happening. Sasuke braced himself to hold his ground until the shockwaves halted.

An instant later, a great cry sounded from where Sasuke could sense the chakra of their attacker. The Raikage stood up straight and smirked triumphantly. "Not much of a challenge. Then again, I wouldn't be the Raikage of this great village if I weren't powerful."

Sasuke made no response, but he knew he was right. Mentally he thanked Tsunade again for not letting the Raikage kill him. He knew he was strong too, but he didn't feel like going toe-to-toe with the Raikage for probably another few years.

"Now let's go see who our perpetrator is." The Raikage declared, starting towards the rock formation. With his Sharingan Sasuke could see the attacker wasn't dead, but at the same time he wasn't active in any way. He had been knocked out cold in an instant by the Raikage's lightning. Sasuke deactivated his Sharingan and followed after the large man.

The two rounded the rock formation and immediately spotted the body of a man. He didn't look much older than Sasuke.

The Raikage lifted the man by the cloak he wore and examined him. "Well, he's not one of my men, and I see no headband on him to indicate what village he might be from." He threw him over his shoulder. "We'll take him down to my interrogators. They'll get the information right out of him."

Sasuke nodded in agreement, and the Raikage started off down the mountain. As he walked, the man shook from side to side until Sasuke noticed something flop out of a pocket on him. Sasuke immediately bent to retrieve it. It was a little book. He flipped it open and his eyes widened. It was a book very familiar to him. It was the same book the man who had attacked him and Sakura had been carrying when they were on their honeymoon.

Sasuke looked over at the unconscious man. A chill went down his back at the realization that someone was really targeting them for some reason. His thoughts flicked towards Sakura, his pregnant wife who sat vulnerably at home. Fear and worry gripped at his heart. If anything happened to her while he was gone…he remembered once again the time when he thought she had been dead. The thought of finding her injured or worse in their home terrified him to the core.

Sasuke ran to catch up with the Raikage, who had already gotten a considerable distance ahead of him.

"Lord Raikage," Sasuke called, catching up to him.

The Raikage turned a curious gaze on him. "What is it?"

"You take that man down to your interrogators. I need you to direct me to where you keep your fastest messenger hawks."

The Raikage's brow rose. "You need to write a letter? To whom? Do you know who this is by chance?"

Sasuke held up the booklet to the page that showed him and Sakura. "This man is associated with someone who's been after my wife and I. We've been attacked before, and he was carrying the same book. I'm just…really worried about her."

A look of understanding crossed the Raikage's face. He nodded, and then pointed at the town. "Can you see that building from here? The tall one with a spire at the top? We keep our messenger hawks up there. I'll go with you so they'll let you in. Once we get into the village I'll give this guy to one of my subordinates."

Sasuke bowed his head slightly in thanks, feeling somewhat better at the thought that soon he could send a letter to his wife and find out how she's doing.

The Raikage smiled. "It warms my heart seeing young love at work. Now let's hurry, I'm sure you're anxious."

Sasuke only nodded again, and then the two picked up their pace as they hurried down the mountainside.

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke tapped a pencil thoughtfully against the table he sat at. In front of him was a blank piece of paper except for the date and "Dear Sakura" written at the top. His foot tapped in time with the pencil as he contemplated what to say to his wife. What was he supposed to write? "Hey Sakura, I'm just writing to make sure you're still alive. I got attacked by one of those guys who were after us on our honeymoon. Reply soon so I don't go insane."

His internal tension wasn't helped by the fact that the Raikage was in the room, looming nearby like a watchtower. As he had said, when they entered the village someone had almost immediately arrived and taken the man off to the interrogators. The Raikage had then taken him here to write his letter to Sakura, but now he was stuck over what to say.

"_Come on, Sasuke. This is Sakura. She's the one person you can talk to without feeling like you're saying something dumb. Just start casual. Then put in the bit about the attacker, hope she's okay and nothing's happened. Hope to see her again soon. Done. Come on…you can do this." _

Sasuke let out a heavy sigh and slowly brought his pencil to the paper. His hand suddenly seemed to come to life, and next thing he knew he was staring at a full letter. He read it over once, twice, and was almost surprised. It sounded good to him. He rolled it up, tied a string around it to keep it together, stood up, and went towards the messenger hawk that was perched on one of the windows patiently. He opened the message tube on its back and slipped the message inside. After a quick thing from one of the trainers, the hawk was soaring through the air. It circled the spire of the tower a couple times, and then it took off in the direction of the Leaf Village.

Sasuke turned to see the Raikage looking down at him with a smile. "Are you happy now?"

"Not till a get a reply letter." He responded.

The Raikage laughed once. "I'm sure your wife is fine. No honorable man would ever attack a pregnant woman."

Sasuke looked out the window. He could see the hawk still disappearing into the distance. "I don't think rogue assassins are all that honorable really."

"Well, I still don't think you have any reason to worry. She's a strong ninja, isn't she?"

Sasuke's eyes shut halfway thoughtfully. "Very. I'm scared to tick her off, honestly. She could knock someone into a coma without even thinking about it."

The Raikage laughed again. "Then I think she's fine if she's that strong."

Sasuke was about to make a response when suddenly the door to the tower flew open, and a recognizable orange body leaped into the room, followed closely by two other familiar people.

"Sasuke! I heard about what happened!" Naruto exclaimed. "You guys really got _attacked_? Right here in the village?"

"We weren't really in the village." Sasuke answered. "We were up in a mountain."

"Well, I hope you two are okay." Tsunade declared.

"We're fine Lady Hokage." The Raikage stated. "The attacker was taken care of before they knew who they were messing with."

"That's my bro!" Killer Bee proclaimed. "Tough as nails, y'know?"

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Naruto asked.

"Sending a message." The Raikage explained.

"To the Leaf Village?" Tsunade inquired.

"To Sakura." Sasuke stated. "It was someone from the same group of people who attacked us on our honeymoon."

"Oh, whoa!" Naruto's eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"He was carrying the same booklet the first guy had."

"Oh man, I hope Sakura's okay." Naruto frowned with concern.

"We'll find out in a couple days." The Raikage declared. "Come now, this is hardly the place to stand and talk. Let's go somewhere else."

Everyone began to file out of the room. Naruto fell back to walk beside Sasuke at the back of the line.

"So…what's up with you and the Raikage?" He asked. "I thought he, you know, hated you."

Sasuke looked over at the back of the Raikage before he said, "We worked out an agreement. We're fine now."

"Cool. Maybe now you can start being with us in the meeting rooms. I'm _so_ bored in there by myself listening to those two yammer on and on about all these things. I hardly even know what they're talking about."

"Bad sign for a future Hokage. You're going to have to know this stuff."

"Yeah, yeah. I have time." Naruto sighed and put his hands behind his head. "Wish I was with you guys, though. I could go for some action."

"It wasn't that exciting. The Raikage took the guy out in one move."

Naruto whistled. "Impressive."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, and then it fell silent. Sasuke's thoughts drifted towards Sakura, and the hawk that right now flew over the lands towards the Leaf Village. He hoped Sakura would get his message and reply with an "I'm perfectly fine" soon. He really wanted to hear from her.

"_It warms my heart seeing young love at work." _He remembered what the Raikage had said earlier, and he smirked. It seemed Sakura saved him again without even realizing it by pulling at the Raikage's heartstrings. It was just another cause in his book of reasons he loved his wife.

**Done! And it's Saturday! The day before my time takes a turn for the insanely busy! And it's just past noon, so I have plenty of time to break, proof this, and get it up a week after the last one was put up! (Right? I can't remember when I put up chapter 26 anymore!) Anyway, so happy ending! Lots of thoughts of SasuSaku! Of course if thoughts aren't enough, there's more to come next chapter! (Which, yay, I know what I'm doing!) So till then readers! **


	28. Intense Training

**Chapter Twenty-eight- Intense Training**

**A/N: So in writing this I suddenly realized the Raikage only has one arm now. So, for the purpose of making my life easier rather than checking everything to fix mistakes and to make descriptions easier, let's all pretend he has both arms. Okay? Wasn't it Sasuke who hacked off his arm at the Kage meeting? (I remember they fought….) Or is my memory crap? If it was, that didn't happen!**

Sakura sat in a chair in the room that would soon belong to their baby. She leaned back as she looked around. They had already gotten just about everything they needed, and only a couple things were still out of place, but they were "too heavy" as Sasuke would deem them, to let her lift them. She knew she could probably move them on her own, but she also knew Sasuke would notice, and she loyally didn't want to displease him.

She felt something like a squirm, and her hand went to her stomach as she felt her baby shifting position.

"Soon," she crooned gently as if the baby could hear her, which, she actually didn't know if they could or not, "and then you'll be out, walking on your own two feet and looking out at the world with your own eyes. And I'll be there to watch it all."

The baby stopped shifting and it grew still and silent. Sakura leaned her head back and sighed. It was coming up on two weeks since Sasuke had left. They said the mission could last anywhere from a couple weeks to a month. The thought of possibly getting to see Sasuke again soon made her smile in anticipation.

The silence was broken by the sound of a sharp set of knocks. Sakura grunted and heaved herself out of the chair and made her way towards the front door.

Sakura opened the door and was greeted by the mask of an Anbu.

"Hello." Sakura greeted him.

The Anbu bowed his head and held something out to her. "A message has arrived for you from the Hidden Cloud Village. No one has looked at it to maintain your privacy."

"The Land of Lightning?" Sakura breathed, realizing it had to be Sasuke. She reached out and took the tube that held the letter for her. She held it close to her heart. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Good afternoon." And then he was gone.

Sakura shut the door, turned on her heel, and leaned against the door as she gazed down at the tube. Her fingers carefully reached up and pushed the tube open. She turned it over and held her hand out to catch the carefully rolled letter. She stared at it fixedly as she moved away from the entryway and into her study. She dropped down into her chair and put down the tube, still clutching the letter in her other hand.

She worked to untie the string, and then carefully unfurled the letter. She took in the familiar handwriting of her husband. She almost felt like she could feel his presence coming from the paper. She looked to the top of the paper and began to read:

_Dear Sakura, _

_I can imagine that you've been missing me as much as I've been missing you. Being here hasn't been the greatest experience for me. Things do seem to be progressing though, so I hope to be back home soon. However, there's a problem. Do you remember back during our honeymoon when we were attacked by that man? We never figured out who it was, and that mistake seems to have caught up with us. Just earlier I was attacked. Don't worry, I'm perfectly fine, but I found the same booklet that the first guy had been carrying on him. If these guys have the nerve to attack me while I'm here in the Cloud Village, I was worried about what they could do to you. I really hope that nothing's happened, and that nothing will, but I just wanted to make sure that you were okay. _

_Reply to this as quickly as you can before I possibly go insane. I hope our baby hasn't given you any trouble. I'll try to get back as soon as I can. I'm sure it's even stressing Lady Tsunade that we should get back soon so she can resume ruling the village. I hope to hear good news from you soon. I love you. _

_Sasuke_

Sakura stared at the paper for a moment after reading it. Her mind immediately went to the incident that happened just days earlier. It filled her with a worrying sense of dread to think that Sasuke had been attacked, but at the same time she was relieved to know that he was okay. She rubbed her thumb over his name thoughtfully for a moment, and then smiled.

"_Well, so long as he's alright and he's coming home soon." _With that thought, she reached over, pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil, and set to work on her reply letter.

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke sat in his room, leaned back in a chair and staring up at the ceiling, bored. The Raikage and Tsunade had taken a break today from all of their political debates, and mentally it drove Sasuke insane. He wished they'd get everything done with so that he could get home to Sakura sooner. The thought of his wife immediately made him think of the letter he sent. It had already been a few days. He was certain that she'd gotten it by now, and now he waited anxiously for a response.

The sound of someone knocking at the door cut him off short from his thoughts. He didn't move to open the door, and the person entered anyway. He was only slightly surprised when the Raikage walked in.

Sasuke stood up to properly greet the Raikage, who held up one hand in acknowledgement. Sasuke noted offhandedly that he held something in his other hand.

"Lady Hokage and Naruto aren't here?" The Raikage inquired.

Sasuke shook his head. "They're out right now. They should be back soon, though, if you wanted to speak to Lady Tsunade."

The Raikage shook his head. "Actually, I'm here for you."

Sasuke's brow rose, and then the Raikage held up the object he had been holding in his other hand. Sasuke realized with stunned realization that it was a messenger hawk's casing. One that held letters.

"This came in for you today, addressed from your wife." The Raikage stated, chucking it lightly towards the Uchiha.

Sasuke caught the case, and then practically tore it open to seize the letter. He untied the string around the letter, opened it, and immediately began to read.

_Dear Sasuke,_

_I'm glad to hear you're alright. I hope nothing else has happened between then and now. I hope you're home soon as well. I'm not sure how you'll react to this information, so just brace yourself and try not to punch through any walls. (Again.) I was attacked, just like you, only a few days earlier. I'm fine as well. Hinata was with me, and she did most of the fighting. (Though it was my punch that knocked him out.) We took him to Ino's, and she used her mind techniques to find some stuff out. Apparently there's someone out there that really dislikes Uchiha's for some reason. Whether it was you or your family, I don't really know. No one's really told me anything since Ino took him to the interrogation unit. She tells me though that they're going to be sure to track this man down and stop him. (At least you know they care about us.) I don't think we have anything else to worry about unless there's someone else there bent on attacking you. (Which reminds me that you didn't mention how it went with the Raikage. I hope you're alright.) _

_I'm looking forward to seeing you again. Our little baby's noticed you're not here; they keep squirming while I'm in bed. Hope to see you soon. I love you, too. _

_Sakura _

Sasuke let out a big sigh of relief. She had been attacked, but she was fine, and it should be stopping. It gave him a deep sense of comfort to know that.

"Good news, I hope." The Raikage proclaimed.

Sasuke nodded. "She's fine. Although, she had been attacked, too. She's okay, though, and she says they took the attacker to the interrogation unit and that they're going to track down the person after us."

The Raikage grinned. "So now there's nothing left to worry about?"

Sasuke nodded again, feeling a content smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, to add to the good news, we should be done in a little over a week. So you and your wife should be reunited in about two."

Sasuke looked up at the Raikage for a moment, and then back down at the letter. Two weeks still felt like a torturously long time, but to have a set time known now gave him a little comfort. He wanted so badly to see Sakura now.

As Sasuke went into his thoughts, the Raikage stepped father into the room until he stood near the window.

"Look outside." The Raikage pointed through the window.

Sasuke did as he was told and looked out the window. He could see storm clouds rolling towards the village.

"Looks like I thunderstorm's on the way." Sasuke commented.

The Raikage nodded. "Exactly. We should head out."

Sasuke's brow rose in contained surprise. "Why?"

The Raikage grinned at him. "You're a lightning user, right?"

Sasuke hesitated a moment, and then he nodded as he understood what the Raikage meant.

The Raikage's grin grew. "What's say we see who's stronger, eh?"

Sasuke smirked. "I already know the answer to that one."

The Raikage laughed. "Well, maybe you'll be surprised." He moved towards the door. "Think you can survive training in hell?"

Sasuke almost scoffed. "I've done it before, I think I can do it again."

The Raikage laughed again. "That's what I like to hear."

'"'"'"'"

Soon after their discussion, Sasuke found himself following the Raikage up the side of the mountain. As soon as they entered the low hanging clouds cloaking the mountain, Sasuke could immediately feel the crackle of electricity in the air.

They climbed until they were well into the shroud of clouds on the mountain. The two finally came to a stop when the Raikage deemed that they had reached a suitable area. It was one of the flatter plains on the mountain, perfect for training, Sasuke thought.

"Now, since you already have experience with lightning jutsus, I'm sure you know what it's like to handle it." The Raikage began with a teacher-like tone.

"Of course." Sasuke responded.

"But, you've never quite experienced the power of lightning until you've come face-to-face with the real deal." He continued. "I'll warn you right now that there is a risk to your life doing this."

Sasuke nodded in comprehension. "I know, but I'm here anyway."

The Raikage smirked. "Okay. Now watch." He put out an arm and placed the other over his stomach as he closed his eyes.

Sasuke watched, a chilling silence filling the air. A moment later he heard a crackling noise, and he nearly leapt in the air when a bolt of lightning came slicing through the clouds, heading straight for the Raikage. The bolt struck the Raikage's outstretched arm, and Sasuke heard him grunt in effort before he pulled off an almost elegant looking sweep with his other arm and sent the bolt flying back up into the clouds. The aftereffect of the performance left a tingling sensation in the air that made his hairs stand on end.

The Raikage opened his eyes a moment later and grinned amusedly at the dazed expression on Sasuke's face. "Never seen anything like that, have you?" He beamed.

"Hn, at least not with real lightning. I've seen people redirect chakra-generated lightning."

The Raikage chuckled. "Of course. Now, I won't have you redirecting lightning directly right now. We'll start easy for you."

Sasuke nodded. "Then how shall we start?"

"Well, let's start by seeing if you can redirect chakra-generated lightning." The Raikage answered, shifting into a narrow horse stance in preparation.

Sasuke mimicked his position. "I think I'll pass this in an instant."

The Raikage grinned, and a moment later he began to make hand signs. Sasuke watched the signs carefully. Once the Raikage finished, his arms swept around him, creating a crackling charge of electricity around him, and then he pointed forward and sent the lightning rocketing towards Sasuke.

Sasuke had just enough time to raise a hand, intercept the lightning, and pass it through him and into the air. When all the lightning left him, he looked towards the Raikage, who nodded approvingly.

"Well, looks like you already have a grip on the procedure. Now…how about a shot of a blend of chakra and real lightning?"

Sasuke smirked. "Give me all you've got."

The Raikage grinned. "That's what I like to hear." He raised an arm into the air.

It didn't take long before a bolt of lightning came down and struck the Raikage. The Raikage pulled it into himself, straining for a moment to mix the lightning and his chakra. He put out one hand and released the excess lightning, and then he pointed forward and unleashed the bolt. Sasuke held an arm out to intercept it, and when it hit him he almost gasped as a feeling like getting punched in the stomach hit him mixed with the tingle of electricity. He quickly flowed it through him and released the bolt into the air. As soon as it left his body, he collapsed on the ground.

The Raikage stepped forward to stand over him. His face loomed high over him as he said, "Not as easy, is it?"

Sasuke looked up at him with a dazed expression for a moment, and then he hauled himself up into a sitting position. "That was intense."

"It's supposed to be." The Raikage held out his hand.

Sasuke stared at the hand for a moment, and then he reached out and grasped it. The Raikage hauled him onto his feet and then clapped a hand on his shoulder.

"Be proud so far. Most others I bring up here are unconscious after that." He turned away. "Come, take a break."

"I'll be fine." Sasuke declared.

The Raikage looked back at him over his shoulder. "If you take another one of those so soon, unconsciousness will be the least of your worries. Even I couldn't take more than three a day when I first started."

Sasuke was about to retort, but then he thought better of it. Relenting, he followed the Raikage down the mountainside.

That was how it was for about a week. When the Raikage wasn't discussing matters with Tsunade, he was up in the mountains training Sasuke. The training was intense, just as he said it would be. Sasuke always returned to his room dead tired and feeling a numb tingling through his body from all the lightning. Most days had provided thunderstorms, and for the days that didn't, Sasuke would receive simpler training with the Raikage's lightning jutsus.

On the day that marked a week since his training began, Sasuke found himself staring up the mountain as dark clouds rolled closer and closer.

"That's a mighty storm. Looks like we're going to have some real training today." The Raikage declared. He looked down at Sasuke. "Are you up for it?"

Sasuke returned the Raikage's gaze and smirked. "I can handle a little lightning."

The Raikage laughed. "Then let's not waste any time!"

'"'"'"'"

When the two entered the clouds that had gathered around the mountain, it was like entering a wall of dark smoke. Sasuke could immediately feel the electricity crackling around them. The feeling was stronger than any of the previous days, however, alerting him to the fact that today would probably be the most intense of all his training days.

The two reached their usual training spot soon after, and the Raikage assumed his typical position.

"It's been a bit since our last thunderstorm. Think you can handle the same intensity as last time?" The Raikage asked.

Sasuke thought back to the last day they had a thunderstorm. He had been able to take a blended version of real and chakra-generated lightning finally, but, as the Raikage predicted, he wasn't able to take many more after it.

"I think I'll be fine." Sasuke answered.

"Great." He responded. "Then let's get right to work with another blended bolt. Get ready." The Raikage raised an arm as Sasuke prepared himself. His muscles tightened in anticipation as he felt the natural lightning the Raikage drew upon gathering.

Sasuke felt something was off just moments before the lightning struck. Something about the tingle in the air, the stillness of their training ground. He automatically knew that this bolt was going to be exponentially stronger than any before. He opened his mouth to say something, but then the lightning came slicing through the air, headed directly for the Raikage. A bolt brighter, bigger, and stronger than any he'd seen. The bolt struck the Raikage, and Sasuke immediately knew it was too much, even for the Kage.

"AAAARGH!" The Raikage cried out painfully. Sasuke watched in shock as the fierce lightning discharged all around the Raikage, and then he saw, almost in slow motion, the Raikage letting out a winded exhale, and then dropping to the ground.

"Damn!" Sasuke cursed, and dashed towards the Raikage.

Just as he nearly reached him, Sasuke felt the same intense pressure gathering around them. His head whipped up as he saw another bolt forming, ready to shoot itself at its next target: him.

An instant later it released, and a bolt of lightning shot out towards him. Sasuke had less than an instant to react. He barely raised a hand in time to intercept the bolt. He gasped as the powerful bolt entered him, and then grit his teeth. It was his first time redirecting actual lightning, and it was like nothing he'd ever experienced. He felt like a small vessel, barely containing a tidal wave of power, and he knew if it lasted any longer, he'd end up worse off than the Raikage. He threw his other hand up into the air and, like air leaving a balloon, the lightning released from him, and left him feeling deflated.

He dropped onto a knee and panted heavily for a moment. Then his head raised as he remembered the Raikage, who still laid motionlessly on the ground. Sasuke heaved himself up and hurried to the Raikage's side.

"Lord Raikage." Sasuke called, shaking his shoulder. "Lord Raikage." He pushed the Raikage onto his back. He muttered a string of curses as he saw the burn marks marring the Raikage's arm.

He shook him for a moment more, but when he was continually unresponsive, he felt for his pulse. A tense moment of silence came, and then he felt the rhythmic beat of the Raikage's pulse. He let out a relieved sigh, and then his expression became serious. He reached over and grabbed the Raikage's arm opposite from him, pulled him towards him, and, with a great effort, lifted the Raikage's weight onto his shoulder. His knees buckled for a moment, and he nearly fell over, but he pushed back and righted himself just in time.

Sasuke grunted in exertion, and, half carrying half dragging the Raikage, he began to descend the mountainside.

"Just hang on." He announced, even though he knew the Raikage couldn't hear him. "I won't let you die."

The trip down the mountainside with the Raikage's deadweight was agonizing, and seemed to take an eternity. He stumbled numerous times, and had to use all of his strength to keep the Raikage from falling forward and down the side of the mountain. By the time he finally reached the base of the mountain, he was dead tired, and felt like he could barely move another step, but he grit his teeth and shoved on towards the Cloud Village.

When he entered the Cloud Village, he was immensely relieved as Cloud Ninja dashed to help him and the Raikage. Two men took the Raikage from him, and then another helped Sasuke to get to the hospital.

Sasuke sat in a hospital bed now, staring up at the ceiling. Besides the immense physical exertion, he had told the doctors he was fine. Upon reluctant admittance after years of Sakura being his doctor, they had done a check-up. None of them would believe him when he told them he redirected a real lightning bolt. Apparently, he learned, it wasn't something most people could do, especially not successfully on the first attempt with no lasting injuries. He shut his eyes and sighed. He was exhausted from the whole ordeal.

Suddenly, the door creaked open. Sasuke turned his head to the side, expecting another doctor, but instead he was greeted by the faces of Naruto and Tsunade.

"We heard what happened!" Naruto proclaimed, entering the room fully with Tsunade behind him.

"Tch, I think everyone has." Sasuke replied. He put his head back. "The Cloud Ninja are basically treating me like a hero."

"And with good reason." Tsunade declared. "I spoke to the doctors who worked on the Raikage. They say you saved his life. If he had been alone when he was struck, it was very possible he could have died."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, still leaned back. "So are they going to let me out soon?"

"That's why we're here." Tsunade answered. "I spoke to the doctors, and I told them I'd give you a physical check-up myself to be sure you were fine, then we can head back to our room."

Sasuke heaved a relieved sigh, and then sat up as Tsunade approached him.

"And think on the upside!" Naruto declared. "Granny here and the Raikage are just about done, so we should be leaving in a couple days!"

Sasuke looked from Naruto to Tsunade for a moment. "Seriously?"

Tsunade nodded as she began to examine Sasuke. "It's true. Granted, this was a longer trip than I thought it would be, but yes, we're almost done. I think we might even finish up tomorrow, and then we can head off when we please."

"Ha, I'm sure the second we walk out Sasuke will already be packed and ushering us to hurry." Naruto teased. "I'm surprised you've remained so pleasant even though you've been separated from Sakura for so long."

Sasuke glared at the blond. "Shut up, Dobe."

"Hmph, just saying, _Teme_."

"Boys, we're not out of here, yet. Don't start bickering already." Tsunade half-snapped at the two.

"Yes, Grandma."

"And no calling me that here, either."

"No one's around."

"Naruto." Tsunade's voice became dangerously scolding.

"I know, I know." Naruto sighed. "Man, I can't wait to get out of here and finally be able to act normal again."

"Then maybe we should stay a little longer just to escape that 'normal Naruto' nature." Sasuke stated.

"And separate you even longer from Sakura? You're not serious."

Sasuke made no response, mostly because he knew Naruto was right. He looked sideways at one of the walls as he felt a smirk forming on his face. They were almost done. He'd get to see Sakura in a matter of days. The thought filled him with a bounding sense of joy.

"_I'll be back soon, Sakura." _Sasuke thought. _"Just wait a little longer." _

**FINISHED! And it's only…two weeks since the last update. Better than how it's sometimes been, though! One more chapter done! One more chapter closer to being done! Which, brace yourselves people, we're actually **_**almost done**_**! Next chapter wraps up the last of the Land of Lightning arc, and then we move into the last arc. Which, I don't even think I need to say what arc it is because it's so blatantly obvious. And…actually, it'll hardly even be an arc. It might even just be a chapter. So that means…"After the Rain" will be 30 chapters long! (Maybe 31 depending on the size of the epilogue I'm going to write.) Man…how exciting! Anyway, so on to the next chapter! Till then!  
And a quick little thanks to Sakura's Indecision for giving me this idea and helping to make this story one chapter longer with the lightning training! **


	29. Familial Affection

**Chapter Twenty-nine- Familial Affection**

True to their word, the Raikage and Tsunade finished their business two days later. The Raikage still had healing burns from the lightning incident, and forever would have the scars, but he was up and about and recovering just fine. As soon as Tsunade entered the room and proclaimed that it was finally time to return to the Leaf Village, bags were packed and everyone was set to go by midday.

Now the trio stood at the gate to the Hidden Cloud Village, standing with the Raikage and Killer Bee.

"I hope that this trip hasn't been too taxing on you and your escorts, Lady Hokage." The Raikage proclaimed as they prepared to part company.

"I don't think it's been too bad. We're just really looking forward to getting back home and getting back to work." Tsunade declared.

"Well, it's been good that you all had the time to come here." The Raikage responded.

"And I thank you for your hospitality." Tsunade replied. "Hopefully our new plans will prove useful and will aid in our alliance together."

"That they should."

"We must be getting going now." Tsunade concluded, tilting her head to the Raikage.

"Have a safe trip home." The Raikage also tilted his head.

Naruto nudged Sasuke on the side. "Hey, you should say something."

"There's nothing to say." He retorted.

"I'm sure there is."

"Nope."

"Come on."

"What did you expect me to say?"

"Uh…glad you didn't kill me?"

"Try again."

"Say _something_."

"It's not necessary."

"But it's considerate."

"Like you know what being considerate means."

"I do, too! And you're one to talk you—"

"Sasuke," the Raikage's voice suddenly cut in.

Both men straightened at the sound of the Raikage's call. Sasuke responded. "Yes, Lord Raikage?"

He smirked at him. "Good luck with your family. I owe my life to you. From now on, we're brothers!" He held out a fist.

Sasuke stared at it for a moment, slightly unsure of what to say in response. Finally he lifted his fist and touched it with the Raikage's. "Thanks."

"Hey, my buddy Killer Bee!" Naruto exclaimed. "Let's end this awesome mission with a little jubilee!"

"I hear ya mister nine-tailed fox!" Killer Bee replied. "Let's do this right, and make sure it rocks!"

"Oh yeah octopus man! We're gonna rock it up and—gak!" He gagged as Sasuke grabbed the blond by the back of his collar and began to drag him away.

"We don't need your crappy rhymes ruining this." Sasuke huffed.

"Hey now, don't be a hater! Killer Bee! I'll have to rap with ya later!" Naruto called.

"Absolutely!" Killer Bee called back, holding out his fist.

Naruto punched a fist back at him with a grin as he finally twisted out of Sasuke's grasp. The three began to walk away from the main gate.

"His level's gone up two or three, but that boy still can't compare to mister Killer Bee!" Killer Bee rapped as he and the Raikage watched the trio disappear down the trail.

The Raikage sighed. "It was certainly an experience having those three over. I think we learned something very important from them."

"I hear you bro." He yawned. "And after all this fun I need a nap, ya know!"

The Raikage smirked. "Sure. Let's head back." He turned and walked back into the village. As he walked, he looked up to the mountain where he and Sasuke had spent their time training over the past month. He looked down at his hand, which was still bandaged up to protect his healing burn scars. They would last forever as a reminder to him not of the power of nature, but of the power of people. He was glad to have come to terms with Sasuke, and humbled to learn that people really could change for the better.

He sent out a little blessing for Sasuke and his coming family. He hoped his children would get to learn the virtues of giving people second chances and benefit positively from them as they had.

'"'"'"'"

The trio traveled through the rest of the day after parting with the Raikage and Bee, and as the sun dipped below the horizon, they set up camp.

"I still think you could have said something a little better to the Raikage." Naruto declared, bringing up their earlier conversation with his teammate.

"Hn, well, it's too late now, and everything went just fine. So get off my case, Dobe." He felt better to finally be able to call the blond boy his typical insulting nickname again.

"I'm just saying, _Teme_, partings are important. What if you never see whoever you just left ever again? It's gonna always haunt you, the last thing you ever got to say to them."

"Idiot, I've been there before." And then he looked away.

Naruto said nothing for a moment, understanding the memories he'd just made Sasuke conjure back up. He turned away. "Anyway, if we don't start getting some wood for a fire, Granny's gonna have our heads."

"Hn, yeah." He agreed, and then followed after his friend in search of firewood.

After the two of them gathered wood, made a fire, and finished the last preparations for camp, all three of the ninja sat around a campfire as the sun fell below the horizon.

Naruto reached his arms into the air in a long stretch and yawned. "Man, it's going to be so good to get back home. Those beds the Raikage gave us were so narrow. I nearly fell out of bed like…ten times while we were there."

"And woke me up for every one of them crying like a banshee." Sasuke murmured.

"Not true!" Naruto retorted. "You're just a light sleeper! Or maybe you're so in tune to me that you could sense I was in distress, and woke ready to help me!"

"What delusions are you under?"

"Don't deny our brotherly bond!"

"I deny it."

"Well you're just mean!"

"And you're just an idiot."

"Boys," Tsunade proclaimed, "just because we are out of the Land of Lightning does not mean that I will tolerate the two of you constantly bickering. Give it a rest."

Naruto sighed. "It's like Sakura's still here breaking us up."

"Only not as good." Sasuke muttered.

"Did you just say Granny's not good company?" Naruto questioned.

"I didn't imply anything, Dobe."

Tsunade abruptly stood up, making both the boys look up at her. "I'm going to sleep." She declared. "Sasuke, you have the first watch. If I hear anything from you two, I'll kill you both." And then she turned away and entered her tent.

Naruto leaned closer to Sasuke. "I think that's Granny-speak for 'you're in trouble.'"

Sasuke looked at the entrance to Tsunade's tent for a moment before saying, "Probably." And then he stood. "I'll start up watch."

Naruto sighed. "Fine. Guess I better get to sleep then. Wake me up in a few hours I guess." And then he stood up and went into his own tent.

Sasuke looked down at the fire for a moment, and then turned around and saw a large rock just outside the area of their camp. He walked over to it and turned to camp. It seemed like a good vantage point to keep watch from. He jumped up onto it. He could see everything nearby from his point. He sat down and stared at the camp for a few minutes. He highly doubted that anyone was going to come. No normal person would dare attack a camp with the Hokage and two guards.

He laid down on the rock, staring up through the trees at the stars scattered above him. Nights like these, he couldn't help but reminisce about the nights he would take Sakura out stargazing or when the two of them would do it while laying awake on a mission. It made him smile to think of how she'd lay partially on him, like a blanket half thrown on, and they would talk as they pointed out constellations and recounted old stories about the stars they'd remember.

Randomly, his mind wandered to the thought that the stars shone like the diamonds on their wedding rings. From there, he found himself recounting a conversation he had. A conversation with himself, debating about whether he should ask Sakura to marry him.

His eyes drooped halfway shut as the memory came to him. He could still remember how he had ranted on and on to himself before coming to his decision. It had taken him what felt like forever to finally decide that he wanted Sakura to be by his side by law forever.

He could still remember pacing the length of their apartment a hundred times as he thought. Sakura had been away on a mission, giving him plenty of time to think. He'd mulled over every aspect of his situation. Did he love her? Certainly. Did he want to spend the rest of his life with her? Most definitely. Would she say yes? He wasn't sure. And that's what always caught him. Did she love him? She always said so. Did he doubt her any time she said she loved him? Not in the least. Did she want to get married yet? He didn't know. He'd already been living with her for three years, dating her for longer than that. Certainly she had to feel some sort of strong attachment to him if she had stayed with him for so long.

He dropped down onto his couch with a long sigh. He'd been running around in circles for hours. He'd already determined a few things for certain: he loved her more than anything, he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and he _did_ want to marry her. He wanted her to be with him forever, and it seemed ridiculous to stay boyfriend and girlfriend that whole time. He wanted to have an official, lawful tie to her. He wanted her to introduce herself to people not as Sakura Haruno, but as Sakura Uchiha. He wanted grow old with her. He wanted to have a family with her. He wanted to watch their children grow up and live their own lives. He wanted so much, and he wanted to do it all with Sakura.

It was in that time that he'd finally decided: He wanted to marry Sakura, and he was going to ask her. If she loved him as much as he loved her, then he knew she'd say yes. He was almost entirely confident that she loved him as much as he loved her. All he had to do was ask.

The next day he'd acted on his decision, and had gone to a jewelry store to find a ring. However, he hadn't quite taken into consideration how much a ring costs, and he was forced to return home without an engagement ring. Sakura returned later that day, giving him no other opportunity. But he did start up a little savings jar. He'd put part of the money he received from missions into it, and always made sure Sakura couldn't find it. When the day finally came that he'd saved enough money, he bought the rings. After that, all that was left was timing. That timing came on the day of their fifth anniversary. Now there they were, happily married and with a child on the way.

He smiled at his memories. It had made him happier than he'd ever been when Sakura had agreed to marry him. And now he looked up at the stars reminiscently and looked forward to continuing spending the rest of his life with the woman he loved.

'"'"'"'"

It wasn't long after the day they left the Land of Lightning that the trio found themselves back in the Leaf Village. Naruto and Sasuke finished their job by escorting Tsunade back to the Hokage's building, where they were greeted warmly by fellow ninjas for a job well done.

However, Sasuke only had one place in mind that he wanted to be at. And he was grateful when Tsunade let the two of them go so he could go there.

Sasuke reached the front door of his house a while after being dismissed by Tsunade with a huge sigh of relief. He ran a hand through his hair as he reached the front porch and looked at his reflection in a window for a moment, making sure that he appeared presentable after his hard day of traveling home. He fixed a few strands of hair and then, satisfied, turned back to the door.

He reached down and grasped the door handle. As he opened the door a little spark of excitement coursed through him at the thought that after being away for a month he would finally get to see his wife again. And, he thought, he'd get to see how their unborn child was doing as well.

He entered the house and was greeted by silence. He wasn't fooled, though; he could sense his wife's presence since before he reached home. She was there; he just needed to find her.

He made his way silently through the house. Obviously Sakura had yet to sense his arriving home. She might even be asleep, he mused offhandedly.

He dropped his bag on the couch and turned his gaze towards a door. The door to Sakura's study. He could sense that she was in there. He crept over to it and opened it. He poked his head inside and couldn't help but smile lightly at the sight. Sakura sat in her desk chair, leaned back relaxingly, and softly snored as she napped.

Sasuke fully entered the room. His gaze flickered downward, and he noted almost surprisingly how large her stomach had become. He knew that now she was eight months pregnant, and carried their almost fully developed child. Being away for a month made him really notice that she had gotten much bigger than her usual ninja fitness made her.

Contemplating for a moment between waking her up and continuing to let her sleep, he decided that he'd prefer to have their happy reunion now. He made his way around her desk to stand beside her. He gazed down at her peaceful, sleeping face for a moment, and then reached over and cupped her cheek. He let his thumb rub under her eye, and watched as her eyes slowly began to flutter open.

"No, Ino, no more ice cream." She mumbled.

Sasuke chuckled. "Having a nice dream?"

Sakura looked up at him through glazed over eyes for a moment, blinked, and then seemed to realize it was him. A moment later a huge grin reached her face and her eyes lit up. "Sasuke!" She struggled for a moment to pull herself up with her extra weight. Sasuke grasped her hand and helped her up. She threw her arms around him and gave him an awkward hug with her bulging stomach between them. "You're home!"

Sasuke chuckled again, and shifted to her side so he could put an arm around her waist. "Yeah, I just got back."

Sakura smiled happily up at him, and tiptoed up for a long awaited kiss. Sasuke leaned into the kiss hungrily. Recollection of the comfortable feel of her lips on his got him through his time in the Land of Lightning, but that was nothing compared to actually kissing her. It gave his body the much awaited signal that, indeed, he was finally back home, and he could finally hold her again. When they parted she looked up at him and asked, "So how did the mission go?"

"Hn, you know. Working with important people. Keeping them safe. Working things out between me and the Raikage."

She gasped lightly. "That's right. How did that go? Did he remember? Is he still mad? He didn't do anything to you, did he? Are you alright?"

"Hold on, hold on, before I forget your questions. Hm…it went fine. Yes, he remembered. He wasn't too happy to see me, but Tsunade convinced him not to pile drive me into the ground. He didn't do anything to me, and I'm fine. In fact, he kinda owes me now for saving his life."

"What happened?"

"We were training up in a mountain, I'll explain more of that later, and there was an accident. I had to get him down the mountain all by myself. They said if it weren't for me, he could have died. And also earlier like I mentioned we were attacked, and I noticed the first strike coming at us. So technically I saved his life twice. Now he's good with me."

Sakura smiled. "Wow, that's great!" She hugged him. "I'm just glad you're back."

Sasuke hugged her back. "Me, too." He put a hand over her stomach. "And how's our little baby coming along?"

"Heavier than ever." Sakura shifted towards her chair. "It's not so comfortable to stand for really long before my legs get tired."

Sasuke made no response for a moment, and then he surprised his wife as he swooped down and picked her up bridal style.

"Ah! Sasuke!" She gasped as she threw her arms around his neck to steady herself. "What are you doing?"

"Getting you off your feet." Sasuke answered, starting to move towards the door. He worked it open and made his way through the house until he reached the door to their room. He opened that as well, went to their bed, and deposited her onto it. He quickly crawled over her legs to join her lying in bed.

"Tired?" Sakura asked.

"No." He answered, reaching over and cupping her cheek to keep her looking towards him. "Just in love and looking for some quality time with my wife after a long time of being separated."

Sakura giggled and leaned in to him. "I think I can help you with that."

Sasuke smirked, leaned in, and gave her a slow, sweet kiss. When he pulled away he said. "Yes. I think you can."

…**I have no excuse for the long time that this chapter took to come out. Well, one. I've been home for two days now after a two week vacation, and that ripped me away from my laptop. But I think the vacation did something very good for me. I almost totally forgot about fanfiction while I was there, and it gave my mind a lot of time to rest. Today I woke up for the first time in what feels like forever thinking about fanfiction and stories. It seems what I really needed was a good break from everything so that I could regain my fanfiction writing spirit. Of course, I wouldn't say it's totally back, but I finished this, didn't I? And it was shockingly easy to do! I'm gonna move on to, drum roll…the last chapter. Yes. The next chapter is the final chapter of "After the Rain." And at this point, I think anyone can predict what's going to happen. So for now, Okami-chan out! Information about my future as a fanfiction writer will be included in the last author's note. So look out for that! Till then readers! **


	30. A New Little World

**Chapter Thirty- A New Little World**

It had been a few weeks now since Sasuke, Naruto, and Tsunade had returned from the Land of Lightning. Everything had easily lulled right back into normal life. So that he could take care of Sakura, Tsunade only sent Sasuke on simple missions ever since their return so that he was always close to home while still bringing in an income. It was enough for them to pay off bills and buy whatever they needed, so there were no complaints, and the two of them preferred it to being separated for long periods of time again.

Sasuke and Sakura were at home now, in the kitchen cleaning up after having lunch.

"And then Ino told me I was just being lazy and I replied 'You have a baby and see how much you want to go shopping. It'll probably save you a few hundred bucks.'" Sakura proclaimed, drying off plates as Sasuke washed them.

"Hn," Sasuke breathed out in a sort of laugh. "And what did she say after that?"

"She said 'Well, as soon as Kiba gets off _his_ lazy ass and actually proposes and we _want_ kids, then I'll try that, Forehead.'" Sakura answered in a mock tone of Ino's.

"Sounds like Ino."

"Yeah. We called our argument to a draw after that." Sakura sighed. "Though I have to say, Kiba really _is_ being slow. Ino's the only one who still just has a boyfriend. You'd think by now he'd have made a move."

"Kiba's not really the kind of guy that likes being tied to much except his dog." Sasuke responded. "I'm still in denial they're dating. They hardly act like it."

"I know." Sakura huffed as she finished drying the last dish and put it away. She smiled at her husband as she said "So what should we do now that dishes are done?"

"What did you want to do?"

"Would I have asked if I had an idea?"

"Sometimes."

"_Sometimes_." Sakura retorted. "But I'm up for whatever right now."

"I don't quite think you could say that."

"Okay, I'm up for anything that doesn't involve danger, illegal actions, and a lot of exercise."

"Well, that rules out training, missions, taking a walk, and mugging someone."

Sakura laughed for a moment at his statement, but then her voice caught and she gasped.

The sudden change surprised Sasuke. "What's up?"

Sakura's hand flew to her stomach and she took in a breath before looking up at Sasuke.

"Sasuke…it's coming."

It only took a moment before he understood what she meant.

"Oh, shit."

'"'"'"'"

The rush from their house to the hospital seemed to go by in a blur to Sasuke. All he could think about was getting Sakura and their incoming child safely to the hospital. Because of her state, he had had no other option to but to pick her up and carry her there. She gripped on to him tightly and moaned most of the way there as labor pains took hold of her. Her cries only encouraged him to run faster.

When they got into the hospital, everyone appeared to automatically know what was going on. They took Sakura from him and hurried down a hallway. He followed after them for a minute before the exertion finally caught up with him, and he was forced to stop.

Sasuke sat down heavily on a bench in the hallway. He leaned back against the wall and sighed as he looked up at the ceiling. Thoughts of his wife flooded through his mind. Where she was, how she was doing, how their child was doing. His fingers gripped the bench anxiously; he wanted to be with her at that moment more than anything.

"Freaking out?" A voice suddenly asked.

Sasuke looked to the side and was only slightly surprised to see Ino standing in the hallway just a few feet from him.

"Tch," he nearly smirked, and then looked back up at the ceiling, "I guess you could say that. I'm feeling anxious."

"Understandable." Ino responded. "Your whole life is about to change."

"No shit."

"I wouldn't talk like that when your kid starts learning how to talk."

He half-glared at her. "If you're just here to be annoying, you can leave."

"There's the Sasuke I know." She grinned, and then started to walk by. "Don't worry too much. Sakura's tough and healthy, so there should be no problems with the delivery, and your genes plus hers'…heh, you guys have probably created a superhuman."

Sasuke smirked and let a chuckle loose. "You think so?"

"I know so."

"Hm…good." He continued to look up at the ceiling. "…Thanks."

Ino's grin broadened. "You're welcome." She continued down the hall.

"_I think having a child will be one of the best things that can happen for Sasuke. Maybe he'll lighten up even more. Haha. We just may have a totally sociable Sasuke by the time their kid joins the Academy." _Ino laughed lightly to herself at the thought, and then finally turned off down another hall to leave.

'"'"'"'"

Sasuke had no idea how much time passed that he sat there. There was no clock in the area to look at, and he seemed to have lost his natural ability to tell time as his mind was constantly filled with thoughts of Sakura and their child.

Eventually, Sasuke heard someone else coming down the hallway. He glanced to the side and noticed Shizune making her way towards him.

She stopped just before she reached the bench he sat at. "Well, the good news is, Sakura and the baby are perfectly healthy."

Sasuke stood up at that, and he nearly smiled. "Where are they now?"

"Well, Sakura's in a hospital room resting. She'll have to stay here for a couple days or so to recover and so we can make sure there are no lasting effects, and the baby will be in our care for a while, but you'll get to see him soon."

"Him? So it's a boy?"

Shizune nodded. "Yes, you have a boy. And if you want, you can go see Sakura now if she's not too tired."

"I want to see her." He responded.

Shizune nodded. "Then follow me."

The two made their way through the hospital for a couple minutes until finally stopping at a door. Shizune inclined her head towards the door, and then took off to give them privacy.

Sasuke stared at the door handle for a moment, took in a deep breath, reached out, and opened the door.

When he walked in, his eyes immediately fell on Sakura sitting in a propped up hospital bed. Her head turned towards the door as she heard it open, and a big smile reached her face as she saw him.

"Sasuke! Come in!" She beckoned him.

Sasuke stepped in and closed the door behind him. He then walked to stand in front of Sakura's bed. He looked down at her with a light smile on his face.

"How are you doing?" He asked, finding a chair, sitting down, and grasping her hand nearest to his.

Sakura gripped his hand back. "I'm okay. Granted, childbirth is everything people say and more, but I'll be fine."

Sasuke looked her over with his eyes, as if expecting to find some physical injury on her, but then he looked into her eyes. "That's good." A small chuckle escaped him. "At least you're getting back that ninja figure."

Sakura laughed, looking down at her much flatter stomach. "Oh, not quite yet. I've got a lot of working out to catch up on before I'm back up to ninja level."

"Don't worry, I think I can help you out with that."

"Haha, I'm sure you can." She replied, and then looked down. "It's nice to be able to see my toes easily again." She stuck one of her feet out from under the covers and wiggled her toes in emphasis.

The two laughed together for a moment. "Yeah, it must be nice."

Sakura continued to laugh for a second longer, and then her look softened. "So…do you think we're ready? You know…to be parents?"

"If we weren't ready, I don't think we'd have made it this far." He answered.

"True." Sakura responded. "But I think carrying an unborn baby in your stomach is a lot different than taking care of a born one."

"I know, but I don't think we have anything to worry about. You've always been naturally maternal."

Sakura smiled. "And you've been developing father-like skills for years."

Sasuke's brow rose. "You think so?"

Sakura nodded. "I've thought so since before we got together."

"I wouldn't have noticed."

"Well, ever since you came back you've become more and more caring, like a father should be."

"I've only become more caring because I have someone to care about now." His grip on his wife's hand tightened.

Sakura returned his grip, still smiling. "I know. And now you get to have another someone to care about."

Sasuke smiled back at her. "Yes." He rubbed his thumb against his wife's hand. "Did they tell you we have a boy?"

"I was there. So yes, I know."

He chuckled once. "Of course."

"It seems almost fitting that our first child would be a boy." Sakura leaned back in her bed and gazed up at the ceiling. "A strong boy to look after his younger siblings."

Sasuke's brow rose. "You want _more_ kids after this?"

Sakura grinned. "Only if you do."

"One thing at a time. We have a long time to figure it out."

"That we do."

He gazed tenderly at his wife for a moment longer, and then he stood and leaned over the hospital bed, bringing his hand up and caressing Sakura's face. She gazed up at him with the same tenderness as she waited for him to make a move. He came forward and kissed her as one of her own hands came up and twined through his hair at the top of his neck. He pressed slowly for more, and Sakura responded positively.

Suddenly, the couple heard the click of the door opening. They pulled away a moment later and turned their heads to the side to see Tsunade leaning against the door frame.

Sakura blushed. "Oh! L-Lady Tsunade!"

Tsunade stood up straight. "Normally I'd peg you for fraternizing, but this time I guess I'll let you go. After all, you're a patient this time, he's your spouse, and I think I'd be kissing my husband too to hear that you're the parents of a healthy baby boy."

Sakura stared at the Hokage for a moment, and then a big smile reached her face as she grasped Sasuke's hand. Then, from around the corner Shizune walked in with a bundle in her arms. She went over to the hospital bed and silently handed Sasuke the bundle.

Sasuke took it, and then looked down in awe to see the round face of a little baby. Wisps of dark hair were visible on the baby's head. He slept peacefully in Sasuke's arms. He really couldn't describe the feelings that rushed through him as he looked down at the baby. This was his child, he thought. His son. His and Sakura's.

He felt a nudge at his side, and looked down to see Sakura staring up expectantly at him. He sat down and delicately passed the child to Sakura. She took the baby in her arms, and the same look of awe crossed her face, mixed with a loving, maternal expression as she reached and stroked the wisps of hair on his head.

"He's perfect." Sakura whispered, unable to take her eyes off of her son.

Tsunade smiled, watching the new family. Then, "Now all he needs is a name."

A thoughtful look crossed Sakura's face. Sasuke truthfully had never considered the fact that they had to name him.

Sakura continued to watch the sleeping baby. Finally she declared, "Itachi…. His name is Itachi."

Everyone in the room looked stunned by Sakura's choice. Sakura merely pulled her gaze away from the baby, locked eyes with Sasuke, and grabbed his hand.

"Because…I know he'll grow up to be a strong, caring, loving brother to his family…just as your brother had been for you, Sasuke."

Sasuke held Sakura's gaze, and then looked down at their son. His eyes softened and a smile reached his face. "Yes…his name is Itachi…. Itachi Uchiha."

It took another moment before Tsunade nodded and looked at Shizune. "Itachi Uchiha…okay. Shizune, go put that on his birth certificate."

Shizune bowed her head. "Yes, right away." And she left.

Tsunade stood there a moment longer, and then went for the door. She stopped for a second and faced the family. "You and Itachi should be out of the hospital in a couple days. Maybe even tomorrow if I know my student." She smiled knowingly.

Sakura nodded in response. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."

Tsunade took one last look at the new family of three, all joined together and captivated in their own new little world. She smiled briefly at the scene, and then left the room.

'"'"'"'"

**Epilogue **

Sakura awoke lightly in the morning. Sun streaming down on her face told her immediately that she had slept in. She groaned lightly, unsurprised to have slept in after having recently come home from an exhausting mission. She rolled over onto her side and reached out blindly, again unsurprised when her hands only met sheets. She rolled over again, this time to get out of bed.

She left her room, fully dressed, ten minutes later. Her eyes flickered from left to right at the pictures that framed the hallway. Each one depicted one special moment or another. The corners of her mouth twitched towards a smile as she glimpsed a picture with six smiling faces looking back at her. She also took notice of the open doors scattered up and down the hall, and quick glances told her each room was empty.

Finally, Sakura emerged into an open living room. It was much different from the one she remembered from just a couple years ago living in the house Sasuke had bought for them. This one was bigger, and, fortunately, it also contained a study for her, even though she never got much of a quiet opportunity to use it anymore.

Voices drifting from the kitchen caught her attention. She walked towards the voices, and rounded a corner to see a circle of people gathered around a dining table, although only three of them didn't need to sit on books to reach the tabletop she noted with amusement.

"Mommy!" One of the two who had to sit on books exclaimed happily as their eyes landed on her. It was a young boy, two and a half to be exact, with dark hair and eyes but Sakura's more delicate features.

"Mommy!" The other one copied the first, not that it was surprising. The two looked exactly alike, as most twins do. The copying just let Sakura know which boy was which.

"Good morning." Sakura greeted the two warmly, putting a motherly hand softly to the side of each boy's head.

"Momma, can you make toast? Daddy burnt it again." A little four year old girl with pink hair and dark eyes asked.

"Did he now?" Sakura's smile grew into an amused grin as her eyes shifted away from her daughter to a tall man sitting at the head of the table quietly.

Sasuke smirked. "Well, no one said my cooking was perfect."

Sakura laughed. "But I love that you try anyway." She walked over to her husband and exchanged a quick kiss.

"Mom! Dad says he's going to teach me how to use my chakra today!" A boy with Sasuke's dark hair and Sakura's green eyes declared.

Sakura smiled at him. "That's great news, Itachi, especially since you're going into the Academy soon."

Itachi grinned at his mother happily as the little girl proclaimed, "When can I go to the Academy?"

"Not for another couple years, Yuki." Sakura answered. "You're not old enough yet."

"But I can't wait!" She stated, half pouting.

"Don't worry," Sasuke interjected. "Being a ninja isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Sakura elbowed him lightly as Yuki said, "But you and Momma are ninjas, and Itachi gets to be a ninja."

"I think what Daddy means," Sakura corrected, "is that once you start training to become a ninja, you won't be as happy."

"But it sounds so cool! I wanna go on a mission someday like you!"

"And you will, in time." Sakura replied. "Now, about that toast."

"Mommy! Juice, too!" The first twin called.

"Yeah! Juice, too!" The second chimed in.

"Okay. What kind do you want Taku, Kyoten?"

"Apple!" Taku answered.

"Apple!" Kyoten repeated Taku.

"Coming up." Sakura responded, heading towards the fridge. She looked over at the table. "Anything else?"

"Well, Naruto's summoning us again." Sasuke stated.

Sakura smirked, it had taken Sasuke forever to stop calling Naruto "Dobe" in front of the kids. "Oh, and what does the Hokage want from us?"

"Who knows." Sasuke shrugged. "Probably just wants an excuse not to do paperwork."

"Oh, Naruto's not always like that."

"Right, sometimes he calls us just to tell us to take care of his kids."

"Well, when Hinata's on a mission and Naruto's working, who else will? Besides, Namimaru and Yuki are friends, and Hana is so sweet." She smiled thinking of Naruto's children. Namimaru was Yuki's age, and will enter the Academy with her. Hana was between Yuki and the twin's ages, but unlike Namimaru, who's rambunctious and blond like his father, she inherited Hinata's temperament, as well as her dark hair, and they both inherited Hinata's Hyuga eyes.

Sakura made quick work of preparing what each of her children wanted, and then finally sat down at the table with them. She ate silently as she listened to the happy chatter of the kids. This was the everyday routine now. If she wasn't out on a mission she would be home taking care of the children. If she wasn't taking care of the children, either Sasuke was or they were all away in other places where she knew they were safe and she could freely run errands or do chores or work without interruptions. It was just how life had become. And she loved it.

After breakfast Sakura made quick work of cleaning up, and then she and Sasuke went toward the hallway as the kids played in the living room. The two entered the hallway and stopped just before they reached their room. They turned towards each other.

"You know, it's going to be a real relief when the kids start becoming ninjas and becoming more self-servant." Sasuke sighed. "This job is harder than ninja work."

"Well, Daddy," Sakura smiled, wrapping an arm around his neck, "just a few more years and you won't have to take care of anyone regularly anymore."

"Hn, but I will." Sasuke replied, wrapping an arm around her waist. "After all, who's going to take care of you?"

Her smile broadened. "Don't you mean who's going to take care of you, lazy man?"

"Tch, I'm not lazy. You're the one who slept in."

"I had a legitimate excuse." She retorted, leaning in closer. Sasuke leaned in as well, expecting a kiss, but he was surprised when she tilted her head to the side and rested her forehead against his shoulder. "Though I'm still so tired. Parenting takes a lot out of you."

"Hm," Sasuke hummed, leaning his head sideways against hers and closing his eyes. "You and me both. It takes a lot to care for a family of six."

"Well…seven."

Sasuke's head immediately jolted away from his wife's and his eyes widened. "Seven?"

Sakura laughed and buried her face in his neck. "Just messing with you…as far as I know."

"Tch, don't scare me like that."

"What? You don't want five children?"

"I thought we were stopping at three."

"Then I had twins. But you know you love them all."

Sasuke chuckled once, leaning his head back against his wife's. "Yeah…you're right."

Sakura smiled and leaned more against her husband, enjoying the familiar feel of his body. She took in a long breath, wishing the moment could last a while longer.

Suddenly, the sound of a crash from the living room broke the two apart.

"Mommy!" Taku's voice rang out.

"Mommy!" His twin copied.

Sakura sighed. "Duty calls." She tip-toed up and kissed her husband. "Wish me luck." But as she turned to go down the hallway, Sasuke grasped her wrist. She turned to face her husband with a questioning look.

"I'll handle the kids if you make dinner." He proclaimed.

Sakura thought about it for a moment, and then she smiled. "Deal."

Sasuke smiled lightly back at her, and put a hand on her head affectionately. "Now wish _me_ luck." And then he went down the hall.

Sakura smiled at his back before he disappeared around the corner. He was always such a willing father, she thought. He really had become the great parent that she had imagined he'd become all those years ago. He was a loving father and husband to the family, and all traces of his cold, dark past seemed to have melted under the warm light of friendship and family. He wasn't much like the Sasuke she'd known so long ago, but she was fine with it, because he'd matured for the better, and she loved him even more for it.

She clasped her hands together and touched the wedding ring on her finger. Years ago she honestly couldn't even imagine that she'd be standing there, living the life she has now, with the people she'd come to know and love. Of course there were still hardships, hurt, and problems in her life, but that's just what she's given up to be a ninja. She remembered then, something Sasuke had said to her a long time ago when she'd said that being a ninja didn't include much peace and luxury. He'd told her that it was what they'd given up in order to protect what was important to them. Ever since then the list of people and things that she'd wanted to protect has kept growing, and the same has been for him. They have so much to live for now.

Sakura let go of her hands and began to head down the hall to where she knew Sasuke and the kids would be. She knew they'd made a deal that he'd take care of the kids and she'd make dinner, but she'd help him out anyway, because that was just what she did. She'd do anything in her power to give Sasuke and their children happy lives, even if it only concerned small matters such as those. She'd always be there for the ones she loved, just as she knew Sasuke would do the same for her and their family and friends, because that was the kind of person he'd become.

At the end of everything, after all their troubles and pains and tragedies, they would always have their love, and they would always have each other.

**THE END**

**You know, I feel so terrible, because for a long time there was just a little part not filled in, and I just filled it in two minutes. Sad…. Anyway! The saga that began on January 4, 2010 in "The Turning Leaf" has now come to a close, actually exactly a year after TTL ended here on July 17. (Took me a bit less than a year to write 30 chapters…gah…Okami's slipping.) I'll be very honest in saying that it's a relief this story is over, but at the same time I'm sad because really this isn't the story I had envisioned it would become. I kinda lost it somewhere in the last half of the story, and now I'm just…blah. I don't know if it was just stretching this series out for so long or because it may be true Okami-chan is withering away. Don't misread my words. I'm still writing strong. Ever since my summer started nearly two months ago, I've written over 300 pages, but it hasn't been for fanfiction, it's been for other stories. I guess the point I'm making is that writing Naruto fics for fanfiction isn't what it used to be for me. I mean for one, the style of writing I use here is totally unprofessional when compared to the caliber I've begun writing at, but I couldn't manage writing as I do now on here. **

**But anyway! Enough of being down on myself! I've done this, and that in itself is an accomplishment! And as for my future here on fanfiction, I may upset some people when I say this: it's not going to be like it used to be anymore. In fact, I'm kinda wondering if I'll even be doing anymore writing for fanfiction. But here's the plan I've laid out. Oneshots are no problem. I get inspired, I write one, it comes out. But if I have plans to make another multi-chapter story, what I'm probably gonna end up doing is writing the whole thing first before I go posting anything. And I'm planning this because I don't think I can go through the pressure of getting chapters out again. With this method it'll be a constant rate of chapters for sure. But the downside is there will be very long breaks between my stories. (Again, if I continue to write on here.) So that's what I've decided, that's what I'm going to do. If it amounts to me publishing a few more stories, great. If not…I sincerely hope that people have enjoyed my works and maybe will remember them when they think of fanfiction writing. And if nothing else comes out, perhaps one day if I ever publicly publish these stories I'm writing, people can read and love those! Only the future will decide. But I will always give my credit to fanfiction, because my writing would still be crap if I'd never started here over two years ago. **

**And so, for the last time in the total of 62 chapters in this saga, Okami-chan out. Hope you've enjoyed. **


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